Interstellar overdrive (Pink Floyd) (LP 3484 - 3489)

Pink Floyd  London'66/'67 (Vinyl, Snapper Records, 2005) ****  

Pink Floyd  London'66/'67 (DVD, Snapper, 2005) ****  

Pink Floyd  The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (CD, EMI, 1967) ****  

Pink Floyd  A Saucerful of Secrets (CD, EMI, 1968) **** 

Pink Floyd  Soundtrack from the Film "More" (Vinyl, EMI/ Columbia, 1969) **** 

Pink Floyd  Ummagumma (CD, EMI, 1969) ** (side 1 and 2) and ***** (side 3 and 4)

Genre: Psychedelic rock, Prog rock

Places I remember: HMV, Fives, Kings Recording, Marbecks Records,

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Astronomy Domine (Ummagumma)

Gear costume: Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Ummagumma) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: The Pink Floyd catalogue is vast and while I'm not a completist (no Final Cut for me thanks), I do have a shed-load of their albums. So, this will be another multi-post effort. First up the sixties versions of the band, and I'll be including the live albums along the way for the sake of context (seems sensible given Ummagumma's inclusion in this post). 

Their earliest available recording is London '66/'67. It includes two extended tracks - Interstellar Overdrive and Nick's Boogie. They were originally recorded for a film Tonite Let's All Make Love in London in 1967, but the songs were only partially released at the time. 

The DVD is great - with the full-length video of both songs, plus interview footage from the 1960s of Mick Jagger, David Hockney, Michael Caine and Julie Christie. Footage capturing the London Scene in the late sixties is also included.

Interstellar Overdrive is a remarkable 16 plus minute version that is constantly questing, twisting, turning, resolving. A wow moment!

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was a remarkable debut in 1967. Syd Barrett is the main man and he moves at ease between catchy pop songs and more experimental sounds. The album title points towards his childlike world that indulgence in LSD only exacerbated. It all adds up to a psychedelic classic album.  

A Saucerful of Secrets is Syd's last album with the band. During the recording the band's friend David Gilmour joined in. This meant it became a transitional album where the rest of the band had to contribute songs and vocals.

That said, it's still brilliant with the highlight being the richly atmospheric Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun - coincidentally the only song on the album where all five members play together.

The Soundtrack from the Film "More" was their first without any involvement from Syd and allowed them to settle into their new roles. 

The film itself included a plot revolving around drugs and 'free love'. I haven't seen it, but the music stands alone as a cohesive album. It seems the music also suited the film, as Nick Mason later said it was 'ideally suited to some of the rumblings, squeaks and sound textures we produced on a regular basis'.

Ummagumma rounds out the sixties releases and remains just as weird as its title (slang for sex apparently). All four members get a side each on the studio album and it's a rambunctious ride through their self-indulgent moments in the spotlight. I get the intention and I like the experimentation vibe - it is just a bit of a slog.

The live album is so much better - the sum of the parts! Four songs and each one is a joyous noise. They are better versions than the studio ones and show up a very coherent band delivering big time.

Superb cover too - I love the effect created with the band arranged in varying ways.

Where do they all belong? Into the spectacularly successful seventies next.

Dreamware (Passport) (LP 3483)

Passport  Garden of Eden (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1979) **  

Genre: NZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Snake

Gear costume: Dreamware

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I somehow missed this one while doing the earlier P's.

It's my only Passport album on vinyl (all the CDs were bought while living in the Middle East), and it's one of their weaker efforts. The eighties were just around the corner and there is a whiff of them on parts of this album, especially with the keyboards.

The vocals, yes - vocals, on this concept album are generally lacklustre; on Snake they appear to be inspired by A Love Supreme, but it's more of a soft rock version of that classic, rather than Coltrane's spiritual searching/experimentally audacious quality. Aside from that it's soft rock prog rock fusion from Klaus Doldinger and his crew.

Best thing about the album is the front cover art (back cover has a cringey band photo).

Where do they all belong? That's it for Passport. I'm not pursuing anything post 1979.

Message (Mike Pinder) (LP 3482)

Mike Pinder  The Promise (Vinyl, Threshold Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: Slowboat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Carry On

Gear costume: Free As A Dove 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Mike Pinder was, of course, a key member of the classic Moody Blues line-up. This solo album was completed during an inactive period for the band. Mike left the Moodies in 1978 and passed away in 2024.

His voice is instantly recognisable, but in The Moody Blues he had three other strong vocalists/composers to share the vocal duties, and so he struggles to carry a whole album on his own. 

The other problem is the hippy dippy sentimentality on display in The Promise. A little goes a long way. That said, it's a pleasant enough sounding album.

Where do they all belong? His only solo album while with the Moodies, I won't be tracking down his others from the nineties that he recorded after leaving the band.

Maze (Phish) (LP 3480 - 3481)

Phish  Rift (CD, Elektra Records, 1993) ****  

Phish  Live Phish Vol 1. (12.14.95) (CD, Elektra Records, 1993) ***  

Genre: Rock, Alt rock, Prog rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Maze (Rift)

Gear costume: Frankenstein (Live Vol 1) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Never heard of Phish? They are a band from Vermont, who've been around since 1983.  They consist of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell. They all have vocal abilities!  

I used to own a bunch of their albums but scaled it back to these two. Rift, a concept album, was their 4th studio album. Being Phish, the concept idea is pretty down to earth: it tells the experience of a man dreaming about the rift in his relationship with his girlfriend. Nice - that explains the snoring between some tracks then.

I like the album - plenty of hooks, and fun! The boys have a sense of humour.

The Live album collects the early stuff together nicely. They are a bit like the Grateful Dead of their generation, so I had to hang onto at least one live album. This is their first album in an archive series and it's great. As AllMusic says - it's a peak in their geeky period.

Where do they all belong? I lost track of the band many years ago. Good to be reminded of their brilliance.

Which way the wind blows (Anthony Phillips) (LP 3479)

Anthony Phillips The Geese and the Ghost (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1977) *** 

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sheepfall: The Geese Fly West

Gear costume: God If I Saw Her Now

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Anthony Phillips was once the lead guitarist in Genesis, albeit briefly. He left the band in 1970, after their Trespass album, to pursue a solo career.

After taking some time to improve his musicianship, The Geese & The Ghost was his first solo album in 1977. It's pretty close to the sound Genesis were all about on Trespass and both Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins appear on the album.

It's a very arty album, and it sounds luvverly, but there's not a lot of substance to the material. Still, it floats on by effortlessly.

Where do they all belong? I'm not tempted to buy more of his catalogue.

Chocolate kings (P.F.M.) (LP 3478)

P.F.M.  Chocolate Kings (Vinyl, Manticore/Asylum Records, 1975) ***  

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Out Of The Roundabout

Gear costume: Harlequin

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: P.F.M. stands for Premiata Forneria Marconi. They were an Italian prog rock band who befriended Greg Lake and were signed to Emerson Lake & Palmer's Manticore label.

Chocolate Kings was their sixth album. The music is great - loads of hammond organ and tricksy time changes. The only problem is the lack of a stronger vocalist. Luckily for P.F.M. Prog Rock is probably the one genre where strong vocals are not a critical component to overall success.

Where do they all belong? Well worth investigating for prog fans.

Indigo (Pendragon) (LP 3476 - 3477)

Pendragon  Not Of This World (CD, Madfish Records, 2001) ****  

Pendragon  Pure (CD, InsideOut Records, 2008) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: HMV, Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Indigo (Pure) - on YouTube

Gear costume: Eraserhead (Pure) - on YouTube

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Like Marillion and Almost Autumn, Pendragon have that classic, melodic, prog rock sound that I love so much. 

The band (which is still going) started in the late seventies and is comprised of: Nick Barrett – guitars, vocals, keyboards; Peter Gee – bass guitar, keyboards; Clive Nolan – keyboards, vocals; and Jan-Vincent Velazco – drums.

Not Of This World is album number 6 and Pure is album number 8. Not Of This World is a concept album, the ideas are beyond me, but the music is great.

Pure was widely regarded as their best album to this point. It's heavier than NOTW, without sacrificing their melodic strengths. 

Where do they all belong? Would certainly buy more of their albums if I came across them.

Nightendday (Pelican) (LP 3473 - 3475)

Pelican Australasia (CD, Hydra Head Records, 2003) ****  

Pelican What We All Come To Need (CD, Southern Lord Records, 2009) *****  

Pelican Nighttime Stories (CD, Hydra Head Records, 2003) *****  

Genre: Post metal

Places I remember: Fopp, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Drought (Australasia), Ephemeral (WWACTN)

Gear costume: Glimmer (WWACTN) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Keegan first introduced me to the delights of Pelican, a post metal band from Chicago. 

Australasia was their debut album. Members at that time were: Trevor de Brauw – guitar, Bryan Herweg – bass, Larry Herweg – drums, Laurent Schroeder-Lebec – guitar.

Their music is perfect for marking to, as it's all instrumental riff post rock. So, we are treated to dense combinations of different melodies, and they wig out with extended songs. It's great. I love their sound. NZ band Jakob were obviously listening to this and other instrumental post rock bands like Isis. 

What We All Come To Need was their fourth album. It takes on some darker textures and is a tad more melodic as well. It's also notable as the first Pelican album to have a song with vocals (last track - Final Breath). I think the album is a work of genius!! I can listen to this one on repeat without a problem.

Nighttime Stories is a continuation of their approach with great results. If anything, it's the heaviest of the three albums with some great droning riffs. They were clearly influenced by Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath for this one.

Where do they all belong? Always keen to add to my Pelican albums.

Last kiss (Pearl Jam) (LP 3471 - 3472)

Pearl Jam  Lost Dogs: Rarities and B-Sides (CD, Epic Records, 2003) ****  

Pearl Jam  rearviewmirror (greatest hits 1991 - 2003) (CD, Epic Records, 2004) *****  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi, Hope Collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Last Kiss (appears on both albums)

Gear costume: Spin The Black Circle (rearviewmirror)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Two compilations to wrap up the Pearl Jam-a-thon. I love their classic rock sound, and their punk-ass attitude. Take on Ticketmaster? Sure - why not! It feels right. Gotta love 'em.

Lost Dogs is a double-disc collection of their best B-sides and other released (albeit in different versions) and unreleased rarities. AllMusic rates it because: the album benefits from what it chronicles: the loosest, hardest-rocking, most relaxed, and most intimate music the band cut. I agree. It's a fun collection.

Rearviewmirror I received from Lindsay Hope. I suspect it was Ashleigh's purchase. It's a superb two CD collection of all their best bits (titling it greatest hits - lower case - is them having a laugh).

The album's two discs are both devoted to different sides of the band's catalogue: the first disc, or Up Side, contains heavier rock songs while the second disc or Down Side features the slower songs and ballads.  

Where do they all belong? Taken together both sides of the band are presented brilliantly. Right. Time for a breather and then the P's continue.

Spin the black circle (Pearl Jam) (LP 3462 - 3470)

Pearl Jam  Live in Seattle '95: Spin The Black Circle (CD, Rox Vox Records, 2015) ***  

Pearl Jam  20 6 00 arena di verona, verona italy (#19) (CD, Epic Records, 2001) ****  

Pearl Jam  Boston Massachusetts August 29 2000 (#43) (CD, Epic Records, 2001) ****

Pearl Jam  New York, NY July 9th 2003 (CD, Epic Records, 2003) ****    

Pearl Jam  Oct. 22 2003 (CD, Ten Club Records, 2004) ***    

Pearl Jam  Live at the House of Blues (CD, Immortal Records, 2012) ***

Pearl Jam  Live at Easy Street (CD, J Records, 2006) ****

Pearl Jam  Live on Two Legs (CD, Epic Records, 1998) ****

Pearl Jam  Live Rarities (CD, Mojo Magazine, 2024) ****

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Fopp, HMV, JB Hi Fi, Real Groovy Records, The Warehouse, Mojo Magazine.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Daughter (Verona, Italy) 

Gear costume: Go (Boston Massachusetts)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Pearl Jam live is a different beast to Pearl Jam in the studio. Although I like both sides of the band, in front of people there are no self-indulgent quirky bits - it's all about being honest and up front. Two guitars, a bass, drums, and one vocalist. Delivering. No overdubs. 

They love to document their live shows as well, so my collection of live albums is just the tip of a huge iceberg (the band released 72 'official bootleg' albums in 2000 to 2001 alone).

The first one in the list comes from a live in the studio radio broadcast from 1995. Vitalogy songs are prominent as that was the album they'd released a month before this show. It's a good loose jam style performance for the most part - obviously not as polished as the studio versions and with no actual audience it's a little lacking in atmosphere.

The Verona show is number 19 of those 72 official bootlegs. I appreciate the honesty in making these albums available - sums up the band aesthetic well.

The honesty extends to a warts and all approach in issuing these official bootlegs. Plus the sheer length - the band work through 30 plus songs! Including an encore go at Split Enz's I Got You!

Boston Massachusetts August 29 2000 is number 43 of the 72 official bootlegs from the Binaural tour. The set lists may be rejigged for each show, but consistent brilliance is the story of this tour. That said, Boston is an extra special concert with everyone giving their all. 

This time the covers that crop up in the encores are of Little Steven (I Am A Patriot) and Neil Young's F***** Up). It's all good fun!

The New York concert from the Riot Act 2003 tour is next - another double CD 'official bootleg', that includes 32 songs! The band certainly give value for money.

Along the way, they play their versions of The Beatles' You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Clash (Know Your Rights) and Neil Young again (Rockin' In The Free World).

Oct.22 2003 is another double live album. It was an acoustic concert recorded on October 22, 2003 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle. It was a benefit for YouthCare, a non-profit charity in Seattle. It's another strong set, and the semi acoustic stance (Mike McCready is on his superb electric guitar) is a fresh approach.

Live at the House of Blues was recorded in Orlando Florida, 2003. It's nice to have but not essential - that would be the New York set above. It's a bit laid back - Eddie stuffs up his version of You've Got To Hide Your Love Away. Too much wine according to him.

Live at Easy Street is a live EP of their surprise in-store performance at Easy Street Records in April 2005. The EP contains covers of the Avengers' American in Me, the Dead Kennedys' Bleed for Me, and X's The New World, the latter of which features X's John Doe.

Rolling Stone's David Fricke: "Here's a good reason why cool bricks-and-mortar record shops still matter: seven songs cut live and hot in front of fans and customers at Easy Street Records in Pearl Jam's hometown of Seattle, then released through indie stores and priced to move".

Live On Two Legs is the first official live album by Pearl Jam. It consists of live performances of songs from different shows of the band's summer 1998 North American tour. Consequently, it lacks the whole worts and all gig experience of those official bootleg offerings.

Finally in this gig-a-thon comes another compilation of live recordings that Mojo Magazine used as a free giveaway covermount CD.

The ten songs range from 2000 to 2018, so it's a cool collection showing the band's development over time. 

Apart from Thumbing My Way, the other nine songs are ones that don't feature on the set lists on the albums listed above, and the best thing about it is the fact it features live items post 2006.

That's it for the live albums. Having listened to all of them over the last few weeks, I'm impressed by their consistency as a band, and how melodic and memorable many of these songs are.

Where do they all belong? Okay, nearly there with the Pearl Jam collection. Only a few odds and sods to feature in the next post.

Thumbing my way (Pearl Jam) (LP 3457 - 3461)

Pearl Jam  Binaural (CD, Epic Records, 2000) ****  

Pearl Jam  Riot Act (CD, Epic Records, 2002) *****  

Pearl Jam  Pearl Jam (CD, J Records, 2006) ****

Pearl Jam  Backspacer (CD, Monkeywrench Records, 2009) ****  

Pearl Jam  Lightning Bolt (CD, Monkeywrench/Repulblic Records, 2013) ****   

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Are (Riot Act)

Gear costume: The Fixer (Backspacer)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: New decade, but same great rock sound from Pearl Jam. Musical fashions come and go, but Pearl Jam just keep true to their vision. There were refinements along the way (Matt Cameron took over from Jack Irons on drums and I like both of them), but essentially the Pearl Jam sound is like no other band.

Binaural continued the thrust from Yield to great effect. There are still the quirky moments (here it's Eddie and a ukelele), but essentially, they are a rock band doing what they do on Binaural.

 

Riot Act is a better album for my money. The guitars bite more and the attack is more focused, plus Eddie's voice is recorded brilliantly. Lots of career highlights on Riot Act: a good commercial track like I Am Mine, and I especially like Bu$hleaguer for its spoken delivery approach. They are still willing to try new things on Riot Act which is great. 

Pearl Jam signals a kind of reappraisal. Bands tend to aim for a rejig with eponymous titles. In this case it's a return to basic rock principles without any of the experimentation that featured from Vs. to Riot Act. 

I actually like a lot of those quirky side roads but a whole album of full-on Pearl Jam is also a welcome thing. Pearl Jam does a good job in rebooting their classic sound. This approach continued with their final album of the decade - Backspacer. 

The cover kind of hints at a lighter approach and the music inside delivers. They sound like they are having fun again! By this stage I pretty much know what I'm going to get with a Pearl Jam album. The guys deliver on this short sharp album (the shortest in their catalogue).

Final album in this edition is Lightning Bolt. Another excellent Pearl Jam recording. I can't find a weak album in their catalogue. My least favourite album of theirs would be No Code and it's certainly no dud.

Where do they all belong? I have yet to catch up with their last two studio albums - Gigaton and Dark Matter. Both were well reviewed but I just haven't got around to them yet. Mainly, I think, because I've moved well away from buying CDs, and gone back to records exclusively. Live Pearl Jam albums are next.

Release (Pearl Jam) (LP 3452 - 3456)

Pearl Jam  Ten (CD, Epic Records, 1991) ****  

Pearl Jam  Vs (CD, Epic Records, 1993) *****  

Pearl Jam  Vitalogy (CD, Epic Records, 1993) ****

Pearl Jam  No Code (CD, Epic Records, 1996) ***  

Pearl Jam  Yield (CD, Epic Records, 1998) ****  

Genre: Rock, Grunge

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, a music club (Vitalogy), JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Even Flow (Ten)

Gear costume: Animal (Vs.); Given To Fly (Yield)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Pearl Jam are a band that a lot of my friends regard as 'their band'. Plus, they've been around long enough for my son Adam, and his wife (both in their late thirties) to form a deep attachment to Eddie Vedder and his mates.

Same with me. I started with Ten, back in 1991, and I have a large enough number of their albums that I need to divide my collection into four: two posts on the studio albums, one for live albums and finally an odds and sods section.

Let's crack on and launch into their nineties origins.

Ten was unavoidable back in 1991. It was huge! As was their sound and their hair. I bet they look back on that MTV Unplugged session and smile.

The songs sound big - they'd not ever go for this rich sound again, but this was 1991 and key members had been in seminal grunge bands (Mother Love Bone, Green River) before uniting as Pearl Jam at the start of the decade.

The songs on Ten benefit from Eddie Vedder's lyrics and his singing blends superbly with the twin guitars of Stone Gossard and Mike McCready.

Vs. is for me, a five star classic - in that there are no dud tracks. It covers a range of new sounds, has a superior drum sound to Ten, and exhibits a real confidence in their future - this is the rawer, more aggressive sound they are all about as a band.

Third album, Vitalogy continues that almost punk attitude with two blasts of brilliantly uncompromising sound on Last Exit/ Spin The Black Circle before heading into more eclectic styles, that even includes ballads like Nothingman and Corduroy. Bugs and a few of the stranger items I can do without but hey - its Pearl Jam.

No Code is a new direction for the band, away from the direct assault of Vs. and Vitalogy, and a slight move away from the quirkiness of Vitalogy. Instead, the band reaches into new territory, working with droning, mantra-like riffs and vocals, layered exotic percussion, and a newfound subtlety. Although it's still cool and all, it's not one of my favourite Pearl Jam albums.

Yield is though. They seem really comfortable inside their own Pearl Jam skin on Yield. Vedder's lyrics are brilliant, the band are goosey loosey and it's also a lot of fun. It's probably their most mainstream album but I like that about it.

Where do they all belong? Up next - the studio albums continued.

Strollin' (Peg Leg Sam) (LP 3451)

Peg Leg Sam (Jackson) featuring Louisiana Red  Going Train Blues (Vinyl, Ode Records, 1975) ***  

Genre: Blues

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: John Henry

Gear costume: Going Train Blues 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Peg Leg Sam (real name Arthur Jackson) was an American country blues harmonica player, and singer. He was joined on this set (recorded two years before he passed away) by Louisiana Red (real name Iverson Minter) - a blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer. He passed away in 2012.

Their album together is full of traditional blues songs done sparsely and successfully for the most part. The harmonica/guitar combo is a situation I love and this is an enjoyable album of country blues. Sonny and Brownie continue to own this space however!

Where do they all belong? A good addition to the blues genre and harmonica blues sub genre.