Tuesday, April 29, 2008

TELEX Part 1.


"Télex was one of the most famous bands of the "electronic" European scene"

"Making techno in the late 70s and early 80s, Telex's sound was extememly ahead of its time and the group laid one of the foundations upon which techno and house music stand. Check out"

"Rendez-Vous Dans L'Espace"; a euro-chic electronic 80s classic. Nobody know's about Telex... but if you appreciate Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Ultavox or Kraftwerk, then you should like this as well."


"TELEX IS A RARE CREW THAT REALLY DIDN'T GET MUCH FAME IN THE 80'S, THE MUSIC OF TELEX WAS MOSTLY PLAYED IN UNDERGROUND DISCO CLUBS."


Country:
Belgium
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Electro ,Synth-pop


Members:
Marc Moulin. Dan Lacksman, Michel Moers

VIDEO:
"Moscow Discow"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUM_avBwcIA&feature=related

"Eurovision"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6USa0zUMmqI&feature=related








































LOOKING FOR SAINT TROPEZ (1979)

Notes:
Tracks 10-14 are bonus tracks not found on the original LP.


Tracklist:

01 Moskow Discow (4:13)
02 Pakmoväst (3:38)

03 Café De La Jungle (1:07)
04 Ca Plane Pour Moi (5:23)
05 Some Day / Un Jour (1:10)
06 Something To Say (5:02)
07 Rock Around The Clock (3:53)
08 Victime De La Société (3:54)
09 Twist A Saint Tropez (3:19)
Bonus:
10 Moskow Diskow (Maxi) (5:22)
11 Le Fond De L'Air Est Rouge (3:21)
12 Victime De La Société #1 (3:54)
13 Quelque Chose A Dire (5:12)
14 Ave Fifi (4:00)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108274334/saint_tropez.rar.html

"I grew up a big Telex fax while living in Belgium and seeing the original albums reissued with obvious immense care is very satisfying. Marc Moulin (a one-time jazz panist and then part-time DJ on Radio Cite), co-synthesist Dan Lacksman and singer (and one-time architect, if my memory serves me right) Michel Moers create synthesized disco (remember, their first album "Looking for St. Tropez" came out in 1979) dance tunes and other electronic wizzardry. Think a mix of Kraftwerk/Gary Numan with a sense of humor. This reissue contains the 9 originals tracks (including the "hits" Twist a St. Tropez, Moscow Discow, and Rock around the Clock--yes, the Bill Haley tune!) and 5 bonus tracks, including some obscure B sides and the last track Avec Fifi, an instrumental, which must be heard to be believed (I won't spoil the surprise here). In the US, Telex achieved brief notoriety with the underground club version of Moscos Discow, which since then has been imitated often, but never equalized. This reissue includes both the "regular" and the "12 inch underground club" version of the song. If you like good synthesizer dance music, you cannot go wrong with "Looking for St. Tropez". "

"If you are buying this CD, I suspect that you are probably one of 1% of all music listeners in the world who ever heard of this band and I don't need to tell you about this band. But if you are one of the 99% who haven't heard of Telex, and you stumbled onto this page by accident - this review is for you. Belgium-based Telex is one of maybe 4 or 5 music groups that planted the seeds of modern day electronica. Until Telex came along in the late 70's and early 80's, most recordings with synthesisers/keyboards fell under the categories of space rock or prog-rock or were just filler/background for the guitars. Sure Gary Wright was proud to tell the world that all of his musical sounds were created by keyboards. But Telex took the keyboards, added a toe-tapping beat and a few quirky lyrics to create such early dance classics as "Moskow Diskow" and "Twist A Saint Tropez." Both of those songs are in this affordable compilation. They didn't have the visual (sort of glam) image of some of their contemporaries such as Visage or Human League. They didn't experiment as much as some of their contemporaries like Ultravox and Depeche Mode. They most definitely DID NOT have the production qualities of today's electronica. You won't hear any heavy reverb, heavy compression, or bass-boosted electronic drumbeats on this CD. You will hear a band that had a whole lot fun making music. They didn't have much commercial success outside of the French speaking nations, which is why a majority of the songs on this CD are sung in French. But there were a few English translations and some of those are here. I have always liked Telex since I bought my first Telex album back in 1981. I rate it a "4" because nothing is perfect. There are a few slow moments. I still prefer Plastic Bertrand's punk version of "Ca Plane Pour Moi" over this dreary slow version. Still, I hope that you have fun listening to this. I did."

"Telex obviously love music on the whole, and sonic texture in particular, exercising great care in creating every sound. But they aren't purists, and thus aren't above using a toy shaker and even (gasp!) a piano on one track. At this time (1978) Telex were contemporaries of Giorgio Moroder, though not as hit conscious, and of Kraftwerk, though more down to earth and less "on a mission". I'm only familiar with their work of this period; there really wasn't any other band like Telex. Their sound on "Looking for Saint Tropez" is unique, as it is on "Neurovision" (1980), on which album they somehow manage a more cartoonish and gossamer sound while remaining quite recognizable."







































NEUROVISION (1980)

Credits:
Artwork By [Sleeve] - Eddy Flippo , Ever Meulen
Other [Coordination] - Herman Van Laar
Producer - Telex

Notes:
Tracks 12-21 are bonus tracks not found on the original LP.


Tracklist:

01 We Are All Getting Old (3:42)
02 My Time (4:22)
03 Tour De France (4:05)
04 Euro-Vision (2:43)
05 Plus De Distance (3:31)
06 Dance To The Music (4:16)
07 Réalité (3:34)
08 Cliché (0:45)
09 A/B (3:23)
10 En Route Vers De Nouvelles Aventures (3:38)
11 Finale (0:12)
Bonus:
12 "Belgium, One Point" (0:03)
13 Troppical (1:50)
14 Colonel Olrik Ha Ha Ha (2:12)
15 Soul Waves (Version 1) (3:44)
16 More Than Distance (3:25)
17 My Future (3:36)
18 Neurovision (3:19)
19 Lakelele (Laquelle Elle Est) (3:19)
20 B Sides (3:22)
21 Soul Waves (Version 2) (3:38)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108282255/neurov.rar.html

"Belgian electronic music group Telex issued its second album in 1980, and with it created its lasting legacy. This reissue contains all of the original 11 tracks, each one of them a classic, including the double "A" sided single We Are All Getting Old/En Route, the (modest) hit "Euro-Vision", as well as other classics such as Tour de France (years before the Kraftwerk single of the same name), Cliche (41 seconds of brilliance), and a rousing cover of Sly Stone's Dance to the Music. The reissue also contains 10 bonus tracks, including the non-album single Soul Waves (first time ever on CD), and various B sides and obscurities (check out the instrumental track Troppical). Never again would Telex equal its mixture of electronic dance tunes, humor, sarcasm and wits as well as displayed on "Neurovision". If you can buy only one Telex CD, look no further."

"Fun, fun, fun. Telex was a throughly unique band. Think of Kraftwerk and the Human League meeting Maurice Chavalier. I was pleased to find this in a relatively affordable CD. I had their material (rare as it is) on vinyl, which I purchased during the early 1980's. I was not aware of the French version of "B-Sides." I only knew the English version. That was a personal treat for me. This has a lot of the band's secondary "hits," not that they were producing Top 10 tunes every three months when they were together. It doesn't have their better known "Moscow Discow" or "Twist A Saint Tropez." But the selections here are definitive Telex."


























SEX (BIRDS AND BEES) (1981)

Credits:
Artwork By - E 201 /Artwork By [Sleeve Concept], Photography [Cover] - Telex/ Lyrics By [Words] - Ron Mael and Russel Mael (from The Sparks) /Music By - Michel Moers
Producer - Telex

Notes:
Recorded from December 80 to May 81 at Synsound Studio, Brussels, Belgium. Mixed August 81 at Synsound Studio, Brussels, Belgium. All sounds are generated electronically.


Tracklist:

01 Brainwash (4:22)
02 Drama, Drama (3:57)
03 Haven't We Met Somewhere Before? (3:36)
04 Long Holiday (2:12)

05 The Man With The Answer (3:14)
06 Carbon Copy (6:33)
07 Exercise Is Good For You (3:35)
08 Dream-O-Mat (4:14)
09 Sigmund Freud's Party (2:53)
10 Mata Hari (3:44)
11 Dummy (3:47)
12 L'Amour Toujours (3:50)
13 Loops (3:26)
14 Cloches Et Sifflets (3:02)
15 Don't Put All Your Dreams In One Basket (2:23)
16 I Can't Turn You Loose (3:15)
17 Bainwash (Long Version) (5:14)
18 The Look Of Love (3:37)
19 Basta (2:45)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108695805/birdbee.rar.html

"Their bizarre sense of humour led them to meet the Sparks (without any doubt, the other contenders for the 'Weirdness Prize Of The Year') and they fell in love with each other. In fact, the Sparks stayed in Brussels for two years, working on Telex productions. This album was, in fact, their only true collaboration and the last Telex 'pop' album... Ron and Russell Mael wrote all the lyrics on this one, filling the album with strange and hilarious stories of alienation, hazy love, Sigmund Freud dancing at a party, and other crazy pieces... While Telex tried to go new wave and wrote classic-structured pop songs with complex production and arrangements... The result worked fine. They even had a minor hit in England with Haven't We Met Somewhere Before ? and ZZ Top became their ultimate fans (!!!). They would go back to minimalistic arrangements and typical electro sound three years later on Wonderful World so this album stands alone in their discography. But it is worth investigating for its pop side and nicely written lyrics and melodies..."

"A reissue (and remaster) of the third album of Telex, which first came out in 1981. This reissue contains the 9 original songs of the "Sex" album, including the "hits" (minor as they were) Brainwash, Haven't We Met Somewhere Before, and Sigmund Freud's Party. This reissue also contains 10 bonus tracks, including B sides (Dummy, Basta), an early version of L'Amour Toujours (the definitive version of which would appear on their next album, Wonderful World) and the "12 inch" version of Brainwash, the best tune on the album (and only "real" hit). This is Telex just past their prime of "Neurovision", serving more of their mix of Kraftwerk/Gary Numan with extra servings of humor and self-depreciation. One listen to the double-entendre filled "Sigmund Freud's Party" tells it all. If you wanna get a feeling of what sophisticated EuroDisco sounds like, circa 1981, this is it. One final note: when the album came out in 1981, it had to be retitled for the issuance in the UK (where Telex had a good following still) to "Birds & Bees". The title "Sex" was deemed too controversial for the Thatcher-era Brits, hence the change. How times have changed!"

"This is Telex at their best. Kraftwerk with warmth, humor & a stronger pop sensibility. Telex were fresh and inventive when they first came into the music world, and they sound as vital and unique close to 20 years later! This and Wonderful World were their creative peak and should not be missed. Too bad they don't have more then 5 stars!"

"Dan Lacksman, lead vocalist for the group, does not have what you could call a particularly distinctive singing voice, and the bands rhythms or music are far from groundbreaking, but this album easily hits the spot if you are looking for a representative for the eighties synth-pop genre. Quite cleverly writen 'english' lyrics(from a man who's natural language is not English) coupled with some damn catchy pop hooks, earns this highly polished and cleanly produced album a degree of dignity in the world of synth music. Who else could get away with a lyric like " now I'm a person, I've started cursing." Nobody, but Dan Lacksman, that's who! The mans got a sense of humour."





























WONDERFUL WORLD (1984)/LOONEY TUNES (1988)

Credits 1984:
Producer, Arranged By, Performer, Artwork By - Dan Lacksman , Marc Moulin , Michel Moers Recorded By [Assistant], Mixed By [Assistant] - Pascal Huwart

Credits 1988:
Backing Vocals - B.J. Scott , Julia Lo'Ko /Guitar - Commandant Gusto (tracks: 14) /Guitar [Fuzz] - Cooky Cue (tracks: 19) /Trumpet - Gisele (tracks: 11, 14) /Voice [Sampled Shouts] - Michael Dwamena


Notes:
Wonderful World (tracks 1-10) originally released on LP in 1984.
Looney Tunes (tracks 11-20) originally released on LP in 1988.


Tracklist:

01 L'Amour Toujours (3:21)
02 So Sad (3:35)

03 Raised By Snakes (3:51)
04 It Could Happen To You (3:08)
05 Second Hand (3:27)
06 Tell Me It's A Dream (3:17)
07 Vertigo (3:42)
08 The Voice (3:38)
09 Radio-Radio (3:49)
10 Wonderful World (3:56)
11 I Don't Like Music (4:46)
12 Temporary Chicken (3:58)
13 Spike Jones (3:27)
14 Beautiful Li(f)e (3:32)
15 Dingo Bells (1:15)
16 I Want Your Brain (4:20)
17 Baby, When? (3:57)
18 Peanuts (3:08)
19 Happy End (I Wanna) (3:05)
20 Rendez-Vous Dans L'Espace (4:28)


Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108234982/wonlooney_a.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/108235225/wonlooney_b.rar.html

"This reissue is a straight compilation (no bonus tracks) of Telex's last 2 CDs, Wonderful World (1984) and Looney Tunes (1988). Wonderful World (4 stars) continues their move into a heavier sound first explored in the "Sex" album. It contains the singles L'Amour Toujours (a great song but unfortunately not the "12 inch club" version which is much better than the album version--where are bonus tracks when you need them?), Raised by Snakes and The Voice, as well as a few other jems such as the title track and Vertigo. Looney Tunes (2 stars) is by far the weakest Telex effort ever. It is an attempt to return to a lighter sound but somehow resulted in a bunch of nervous irritating songs. Looney Tunes contains the singles Temporary Chicken, Spike Jones (which is a tribute to "the funniest comedian ever") and Peanuts. It also contains the most annoying Telex song ever: Baby, When? A disappointing way to bow out but it cannot stain the brilliance amply demonstrated in earlier albums."

"dont listen to the other person review of "Looney Tunes" dont get me wrong, i love ALL telex albums, but looney tunes is their most fun, and creative album they have done, as far are trying new things. i personally think 'Baby when" is their coolest song to date. its fun, and funny. my thoughts ont "Looney Tunes"; itsl ike if peewee herman had an album."

"TELEX: Looney Tunes (Atlantic) These disco-mad Belgian technopoppers take off like a computer run amuck. By the time they're through with the lovable "I Don't Like Music" and the ducky "Temporary Chicken," they could be the Art of Noise doing a comedy album, or Tom Tom Club on a roll--they've earned the right to call one "Spike Jones." But despite the "Frere Jacques" and "Jingle Bells" rips to follow, "Spike Jones" is as crazy as side one gets. And despite "I Want Your Brain," side two is technodisco"

(http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv189-89.php)


SPIKE JONES (7") (1986)

Tracklist:

01 Spike Jones (3:24)
02 Basta (3:30)



MOSKOW DISKOW REMIX (EP) (1988)

Notes:
Remixes of the classic that has been originally released in 1979.

Tracklist:

01 Moskow Diskow (88 Remix) (8:43)
02 Moskow Diskow (88 Re-Edit) (5:10)
03 Moskow Diskow (French Version) (5:22)
04 Moskow Diskow (Original '79 Mix) (3:09)



















TEMPORARY CHICKEN (EP) (1988)

Credits:
Producer - Telex


Tracklist:

01 Temporary Chicken (Barnyard Maxi Mix) (6:37)
02 Temporary Chicken (Edit Of Remix) (3:58)
03 Temporary Chicken (12"Remix) (6:37)
04 Temporary Chicken (Dub Version) (3:23)


Link to these 3 EP:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108265484/3ep.rar.html































LES RYTHMES AUTOMATIQUES (REMIXES) (1989)

Notes:
All tracks Re-Recorded and/or Remixed at Synsound Studio - Brussels. Remix - Serge Ramaekers , Wouter Van Belle (tracks 01,03)


Tracklist:

01 Twist A Saint-Tropez (3:43)
02 Dance To The Music (4:56)

03 Moskow Diskow (4:14)
04 Radio-Radio (4:52)
05 Reality (4:28)
06 Vertigo (3:34)
07 The Voice (4:51)
08 Second Hand (3:44)
09 Rock Around The Clock (5:22)
10 Pakmovast (3:39)
11 Eurovision (0:56)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108273391/les_rythmes.rar.html


I DON'T LIKE MUSIC VOL.1 (REMIXES) (1998)

Notes:
Remixes from Telex tracks originally released between 1978 & 1986.


Tracklist:

01 Moskow Diskow (Carl Craig Mix) (6:19)
02 Raised By Snakes (Shake Mix) (6:47) Remix - Anthony Shakir
03 Radio-Radio (Le Tone Mix) (4:14)
04 Beautiful Li(f)e (16b Mix) (9:00)
05 Peanuts (Buckfunk 3000 Mix) (5:18)
06 Eurovision (Auto Repeat Mix) (4:55)
07 I Don't Like Music (Ian O'Brien Mix) (9:09)
08 Twist a Saint-Tropez (Yasuharu Konishi Mix) (4:29)
09 En Route Vers De Nouvelles Aventures (I:Cube Mix) (6:33)
10 Temporary Chicken (Dr Rockit's Action Chicken Mix) (4:01)
11 The Voice (20/20 Vision Mix) (5:28)
12 Moskow Diskow (Glenn Underground Mix) (8:09)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108255579/donlmu_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/108254853/donlmu_b.rar.html

"I am about as big a Telex fan as you will ever find anywhere. I have all of the original singles, maxi-singles and albums from the vinyl days of the late 70s and early 80s, and over time replaced the albums with the CD reissues. Being the Telex completist, I just had to have this remix album. Bad mistake."I Don't Like Music (Remix)" (12 tracks, 74 min.) take well known ("Moscow Discow", "Twist a St. Tropez") and not so well known ("I Don't Like Music" is the B side of a single) tracks and turn them over to various remixers. I'll be upfront about it: I am not into "house" or "techno" music, nor am I really into the "club" scene (underground or otherwise). Simply put, I have never heard of any of these remixers. I was quite disappointed with what I heard, because the songs sound absolutely nothing like the original Telex songs. It reminds me of some of the Depeche Mode remixes that I've heard, which also sound so far away from the original songs.
When Telex released maxi-singles, they contained "alternative" versions of the hit song. That meant generally a (much) longer version of the original song, perhaps with a new synthesizer solo or something like that. However on this remix album, mostly you wouldn't know these remixes are based on the originals if you didn't know better. I can't say whether these remixes make any sense or not, they just didn't appeal to me at all.
I guess I should have been more careful, but this album is certainly not geared towards the Telex fan as such, but rather to the fans of techno/house/remix music. Buyers beware..."

"If you are currently into today's dance music, you certainly will appreciate the new interpretations of these old classics. Their biggest hit, "Moscow Diskow", is included here with two different, unique versions. Other notables are "Raised By Snakes","Twist A Saint Tropez" and "Eurovision". Being that I have known of these songs for years, makes it that much more enjoyable. If this not the case for you, it doesn't matter. Simply because you will find yourself dancing or moving in some form or fashion. In conclusion, of the numerous "re-mix albums" that have hit the market in the last 5 years, this is certainly an enjoyable one from beginning to end!"





















I DON'T LIKE REMIXES:ORIGINAL CLASSICS 78-86 (1998)

Notes:
Track 21 "Moskow Diskow (Revisited Original)" on the Columbia release is omitted altogether here.
Tracks 3, 5, and 14 were re-recorded in 1997 for this release.


Tracklist:

01 Moskow Diskow (US Maxi Version) (5:22)
02 Peanuts (3:09)
03 Raised By Snakes (3:51)
04 Rock Around The Clock (3:55)
05 Radio-Radio (3:49)
06 Tour De France (4:06)
07 I Don't Like Music (Non-LP Version) (3:43)
08 Temporary Chicken (Non-LP Version) (3:24)
09 Dance To The Music (4:19)
10 Brainwash (4:23)
11 Troppical (1:51)
12 Rendez-Vous Dans L'espace (Non-LP Version) (4:52)
13 En Route Vers De Nouvelles Aventures (3:44)
14 The Voice (3:39)
15 Pakmovast (3:40)
16 Spike Jones (3:27)
17 We Are All Getting Old (3:44)
18 Beautiful Li(f)e (3:32)
19 Dingo Bells (1:16)
20 Twist A Saint-Tropez (3:19)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108248789/i_dontlre_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/108248423/i_dontlre_b.rar.html

"This collection is great if you want to discover Telex in their original sound. Well, actually, some song have been highly remastered but this is still the original instrumentation.
A must have for 80's music lover who want to know what have been done outside british pop music .
Also a great choice for techno lover who wants to learn about electronic music avant-gard music of the 80's ."

"Telex, one of the true electronic music pioneers (along with Kraftwerk), comes from my home country Belgium. I still lived in Belgium in Telex's heydays (78-83), and from their very first single ("Twist a St. Tropez", a summer hit in 78), I just fell in love with the sound of the band, and bought every single, maxi-single and album these guys put out. It makes for one heck of a (vinyl) collection now. It took many years, but finally Telex has been served right with a true "best of" compilation. I won't call it "greatest hits" as they really did have only a handful of real "hits", primarily the afore-mentioned "Twist" and their signature song "Moscow Discow"."I Don't Like Remixes/Original Classics 78-86" (21 tracks, 77 min.) brings those hits, most singles that didn't become hits, key album tracks and even a few B-sides (such as "Troppical" and "Pakmovast", both essential instrumentals in Telex's output). As noted elsewhere, a huge omission is "L'Amour Toujours", one of their better singles. Also MIA: "Soul Waves", another good single (unavailable on album or CD until the "Belgium... One Point" box set), "Sigmund Freud's Party", an excellent single that finds Telex at its wittiest, and "Eurovision", the song that took Telex to the 1980 Euro-Vision contest, with hilarious (but real-life) consequences. I wish this "best of" would have been sequenced chronologically, improving the flow of the songs (I'm dazed going from "Moscow Discow" to "Peanuts", for example). There also should have been less emphasis on the latter era-songs: songs like "Beautiful Li(f)E", "Spike Jones" and "Peanuts" simply don't measure up to the earlier era-music."

"The first song I ever heard by Telex was Peanuts (Rock, Rock!) when I was about 15 in a dance club, and I loved them for their off beat deep grooves, innovative sequencing and funky samples. This album introduced me to many song that I had never heard before, but have grown to love, especially Raised By Snakes. If you like groovy old electronic music like Kraftwerk or Yellow Magic Orchestra's first album then you will love this album. I'll never sell it back to the used cd store, it's classic."



I STILL DON'T LIKE MUSIC VOL.2 (1999)

Tracklist:


01 Raised By Snakes (Maurice Fulton Mix) (5:43)
02 Rendez-Vous Dans L'Espace (Morgan Geist Mix) (4:37)
03 Rock Around The Clock (Buckfunk 3000 Mix) (7:20)
04 Dance To The Music (Ian Pooley Mix) (4:35)
05 Radio-Radio (The Tellurians Mix) (5:40)
06 Brainwash (Eddie Flashin' Fowlkes Mix) (5:32)
07 Tour De France (Seven Dub Mix) (6:00)
08 Spike Jones (T-Power Mix) (4:27)
09 I Don't Like Music (Stacey Pullen Mix) (8:45)
10 Soul Waves (Pulsinger & Tunakan Mix) (5:13)
11 Brainwash (Juan Atkins Mix) (5:54)
12 Tour De France (Home Run) (Dj D Mix) (5:05)
13 Dance To The Music (Reprise) (Ian Pooley Mix) (5:02)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108241953/stildlm_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/108241736/stilldlm_b.rar.html

"I can't believe that I am just now getting into TELEX. This stuff is awesome. For the electronic muzic snobs that have heard it all, you have to have these TELEX albums! If you love Kraftwerk, then it's on to TELEX. It's really a sham that nobody turned me onto this. I thought I heard it all, and had it all, now I have collect these albums..... Pure Electronics."

"The series instigated by Carl Craig continues with this slightly superior volume, compared to Volume 1.On this CD others legends of Detroit have their chance to shine. Juan Atkins does most, weighing in with two great remixes, but the best track by far here is by New Jersey based Morgan Geist. His wonderful remix of 'Rendevous dans le Spacs' really sounds way ahead of all the other songs on this album, despite this album being the better of the two volumes! His mix is brilliantly 80's sounding with that touch of 90's thrown in for good measure."

""TELEX -I STILL DON'T LIKE MUSIC REMIXES VOLUME 2" is out on Belgium label SSR. This is a gratifying follow-up to the first installment with an assortment of nuggets from Telex reworked once again with innovation propelled by devotion and respect. There is the anticipated appearance of "Rock around the Clock" beautifully rendered by Buckfunk 3000. The themes are intact from the original coupled with a 90s electro-techy, disco attitude. Telex used every sort of vocal processors on the original versions of their songs, making most of the essential elements very current by today's standards. Ian Pooley takes charge of the pearl "Dance to the Music" and manages a nice twist pushing the vocoder and electro aspects to a pleasing extreme. "Brainwash" is appropriately taken on by two techno legends Juan Atkins and Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes. Fowlkes' mix is a straightforward, tribal version with vocals intact and synthesizers devotedly emphasized. Juan Atkins takes an entirely out-of-character approach, very dreamy and very down-tempo. "Spike Jones" is a break-beat, bass confection. DJ D turns "Tour De France" skillfully around with a punchy house vibe, again accentuating the groovy sound effects. On the CD-only Seven Dub does a finely crafted down-tempo version that could have been on their own album. Very refined."
(http://www.soundworks-sf.com/columns/1999-06.html)

"Immediately following Kraftwerk, Telex ranks as one of the founders of electro-pop and forefathers of techno. But unlike the German quartet, who only ever gave a few of their songs unsatisfactory self-updates on The Mix, Telex eagerly opened themselves up to reinterpretation by the very artists they inspired. It's no surprise that these contemporary producers would be compelled to tinker with those original blueprints. What's amazing is how well they pulled it off. Stacey Pullen and Eddie Flashin' Fowlkes give the disco Germans a quick Detroit techno polish, while Juan Atkins turns in a guitar-heavy version of "Brainwashed" that points more toward his R&B-leaning, latter-day Model 500 recordings. Elsewhere, T-Power runs it all through his typical breaks machine, and Morgan Geist smoothes off every last edge of "Rendez-Vous Dans l'Espace," creating an unfamiliar mix of Teutonic vocals and deep house vibes. Things get even more postmodern as Buckfunk 3000 loops up the Telex cover of the classic Bill Haley & the Comets single "Rock Around the Clock." As a total package, along with the first volume of this collection, I (Still) Don't Like Music is a well-rounded and perfectly executed remix collection. One wonders why the same can't be said for most other projects of this nature." ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide





























DO WORRY-CLUB MIXES (EP) (2006)

Tracklist:


01 Do Worry (Lindstrom Remix) (10:05)
02 Do Worry (kiD Alex Remix) (05:38)
03 Do Worry (Album Version) (04:07)
04 Do Worry (Muskat Nuss 'Dirty Dancing' Remix) (05:56)
05 Do Worry (Bangkok Impact 'Dirty Dancing' Remix) (05:42)

























HOW DO YOU DANCE - CLUB REMIXES (2006)

Tracklist:

01 How Do You Dance (M83 Remix)
02 How Do You Dance (Tomboy Remix)
03 How Do You Dance (Telex Remix)
04 How Do You Dance (The Subs Remix)


Link to these 2 EP:
http://rapidshare.com/files/109010666/2ep.rar.html























HOW DO YOU DANCE? (2006)

Credits:
Engineer [Recording & Mixing] - Dan Lacksman/ Mastered By - Pompon* /Producer - Telex/ Backing Vocals - Christa Jérôme (track 02)


Tracklist:

01 On The Road Again (2:58)
02 How Do You Dance? (4:26)
03 This Is Your Song (4:50)
04 #1 Song In Heaven (6:27)
05 J'Aime La Vie (3:09)
06 White Noise (3:20)
07 Move! (4:20)
08 Jailhouse Rock (3:29)
09 Do Worry (4:06)
10 La Bamba (4:05)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108265004/how_do_you_dance.rar.html

"Telex is, along with Kraftwerk, one of the most influential electro-bands around. In the late 70s and early 80s, the Belgian trio made a number of highly regarded albums, such as "Looking for St. Tropez" and "Neurovision". After the disappointing 1986 album "Looney Tunes", the band disappeared... until now.
"How Do You Dance" (10 tracks, 41 min.) picks up the thread as if the last 20 years never happened. The album starts with a cover of Canned Heat's "On the Road Again", and the good times are rolling again! The album is a mix of 5 original Telex tunes and 5 covers. Highlights include "This Is Your Song", a "love song" as only Telex can bring it (and only the second ever in their catalogue); a faithfull cover of the Sparks' "#1 Song in Heaven", which is not a surprise, given the huge admiration of Telex for the Sparks; "Move", a typical song of Telex's dry humor (the song is about a horse that doesn't want to move); and the closer, a Telex take on "La Bamba", which is used widely in Europe in college crowds to bring out wallflowers. The least effective tune is a slowed-down cover of "Jailhouse Rock", in the tradition of Telex's cover of "Rock Around the Clock". Separate from the music, the album's cover notes on all the songs by the Telex guys are great fun.
It's great to have these guys back! I never thought that they'd ever record another album. Telex has been covered extensively over the years, and their influence is substantial. "How Do You Dance?" is a most welcome back."

"After nearly a decade of either banishment or preparation to take over the world, depending on your perspective, Telex is back with a new release. This time around, the Belgium electronic pioneers present five original tunes/strings of computer blips and bleeps (again, depending on your perspective) as well as five pretty-inspired cover choices.
On first listen, no track grabs the listener quite like "Move!". This song really could have been at home on a Blue Monday or early-Depeche Mode album. The thumping bassline is introduced from the beginning and keeps the dance vibe present throughout the rest of the track's running time. The importance of the bassline is immediately understood upon listening. The name of the track is repeatedly uttered in the tone of a ghost from Scooby Doo, and is immediately followed by the ney of a frightened horse. Entirely to be expected on a Telex record, but it still interrupts the desire to get up and move one's feet.
The most well-known of the covers is probably "Jailhouse Rock." Coincidentally, it is also the most successful. Kept very simple throughout, even the vocals are given very little distortion. The presence of synths is maintained at a minimal level and the beat is steadily mid-tempo. It's such a joyful, low-key interpretation of the Presley classic that the listener simply does not wish it to end.
Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" ends the disc, with the tune's melody more than capably being represented by the keyboard work. Unlike the other covers, most of the lyrics are thrown to the side altogether. What is retained is drenched in the most distortion found on the entire album. Still, the vibrant fusion of Latino and American rock shines through.
For a band known for not taking itself seriously in any way, shape or form, this reunion album definitely gives the impression of trying to place a retroactive importance on the band's work. Of course, this impression may not have been intended, as is evidenced in the band's refusal to write lyrics with any level of sincerity. That is, aside from Telex's evident desire to free the electro dancer within every listener.
(http://www.bigyawn.net/cdreview.php?id=749)

More review:
http://www.mediadis.com/music/detail.asp?id=152711





















ON THE ROAD AGAIN - CLUB MIXES (2006)

Tracklist:


01 On The Road Again (Jo Bogaert Remix) (05:02)
02 On The Road Again (Marco Passarani Remix) (05:54) Remix - Pigna People
03 On The Road Again (Telex Remix) (07:04)
04 On The Road Again (Playgroup Remix) (08:16)


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/108279026/ontra.rar.html

"TELEX is back with their first real material since 1985 AND with a cover!!! The electro pop's cult trio is often mentioned as sources of influence for many established electronic artists. Most of their records from back in the days have become huge collectors items, still played by deejays nowadays. The big news is of course that they're back with the hypnotic "On The Road Again", the 60's anthem from CANNED HEAT. All the trademark ingredienst are here: the Telexian characters, the Telexique humour, the Telexectric appartent musical simplicity (or can we call that minimalism too?), the Telexorque nutty vocals and of course the Telexesque grooves; TELEX never forgets the dancefloor! Remixes come from grandies JO TECHNOTRONIC BOGAERT, Nature's MARCO PASSARANI, Telexans TELEX and TREVOR JACKSON's PLAYGROUP."
(http://www.soulseduction.com/common/item_detail.php?ItemID=158763)



Biography:
Telex was a synth-disco trio formed in Brussels, Belgium, in 1978 by keyboardist Marc Moulin, who had previously performed with Cos. He was joined by vocalist Michel Moers and composer/synthesist Dan Lacksman, and together, Telex crafted a slick, stylish brand of Europop/disco with relaxed tempos and often-processed vocals.
Their debut album, Looking for Saint-Tropez, was released in 1979, containing signature songs like the title track, "Moskow Diskow," and slowed-down covers of "Rock Around the Clock" and Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi." Neurovision (1980) and Sex (1981) followed, with the latter employing lyricists Ron and Russell Mael. (A 1982 U.K.-only release, Birds and Bees, contains all but three of Sex's tracks, plus several singles.) Nothing much was heard from the group after 1984's Wonderful World until 1988, when Looney Tunes displayed an about-face toward goofy, effects-laden electronic music somewhat akin to the Art of Noise or Yello. The band broke up soon after, though all three members also released material. Ten years later, long after all Telex material had gone out of print, the band received the remix-album treatment on SSR's I Don't Like Music (Remixes), featuring a host of new-school electronic producers like Carl Craig, Buckfunk 3000, Patrick Pulsinger, and Glenn Underground. A separate disc, I Don't Like Remixes, presented the Telex originals. The set proved so popular that a second remix disc, I (Still) Don't Like Remixes, Vol. 2, was released the following year
.(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fpfuxq95ldte~T1)

The Belgian synthpop group Telex was formed in 1978 by Marc Moulin, Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers, with the intention of "Making something really European, different from rock, without guitar - and the idea was electronic music.Mixing the aesthetics of disco, punk and experimental electronic music, they released a stripped-down synthesized cover version of "Twist a St. Tropez" by Les Chats Sauvages.They followed up with an ultra-slow cover of "Rock Around the Clock", a hilariously relaxed and dispassionate version of one-hit-wonder Plastic Bertrand's punk song "Ça Plane Pour Moi", and a perversely mechanical cover of "Dance to the Music", originally by Sly Stone.Like Kraftwerk, Telex built their music entirely from electronic instruments, and the sounds of the two groups have a certain similarity. However, unlike Kraftwerk's studied Teutonic irony, Telex favour a more joyously irreverent humour.Their debut album, "Looking for Saint Tropez", featured the worldwide hit single "Moskow Diskow", one of the first ever electronic dance/pop songs.In 1980 Telex's manager asked them to enter for the Eurovision Song Contest. They entered, and were eventually sent to the finals, although they apparently hoped to come last:

"We had hoped to finish last, but Portugal decided otherwise. We got ten points from them and finished on the 19th spot" (Marc Moulin)

Their song "Euro-Vision" was a cheerful bleepy song with deliberately banal lyrics about the contest itself.The Eurovision audience seemed unsure how to react to the performance, and after the band stopped playing there was mostly stunned silence, with scattered polite applause; Marc Moulin took a photograph of the bewildered audience. The band walked off amidst sounds of muttering. A mark of the confusion caused by the performance was when vote-counting began, and Greece awarded Belgium three points, the announcer thought she had misheard and tried to award the points to The Netherlands.All of this was clearly bad news for the band's English record label, Virgin Records, who were trying to pass them off as part of the New Romantic movement. The self-mockery of tracks like "We Are All Getting Old" didn't help either.For their third album, Sex, Telex enlisted the suddenly hip US group Sparks to help write the lyrics. However, the band still refused to play live and preferred to remain anonymous — common practice in the techno music artists they later inspired, but unusual in 1981. The fourth Telex album, Wonderful World, was barely distributed.In 1986, Atlantic Records, perhaps surprisingly, signed Telex and released Looney Tunes. By then, the band's earlier sound had influenced many other groups, but they had abandoned it in favor of sampling and a more up-tempo humorous style. "Temporary Chicken", for example, was a strange joke track about a man so desperate for work that he accepts a part time job in a chicken costume. It was social commentary, but so bizarre as to be almost incomprehensible to most listeners; the album found little commercial success. In 1989, Telex revisited all of their old tracks and remixed them to resemble the house music and other genres that had followed in the wake of Telex and others' early pioneering work in electronic pop. The result was Les Rhythmes Automatiques, which apparently inspired Kraftwerk to do the same for their album The Mix in 1991.After almost two decades of silence, Telex made a come-back in March 2006 with How Do You Dance on EMI. It comprised five original compositions as well as five covers. Their last release, as of 2006, is a cover of "On the Road Again", originally by Canned Heat. They also began producing remixes for other artists' single releases, including "A Pain that I'm Used To" by Depeche Mode and "Minimal" by the Pet Shop Boys.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telex_(band))

ALBUMS :
1979 Looking for Saint Tropez
1980 Neurovision
1981 Sex
1982 Birds and Bees
1984 Wonderful World
1988 Looney Tunes
2006 How Do You Dance?


Compilations:
1982 More Than Distance
1989 Les Rythmes Automatiques
1993 Belgium ...1 Point.....(Best Of Telex)
1994 Is Release a Humour ? - We Love Telex (only in Japan)
1998 I Don't Like Music (Remixes, Vol. 1)
1998 I Don't Like Remixes: Original Classics 78-86
1999 I (Still) Don't Like Music (Remixes, Vol. 2)


More info:
http://www.telex-music.com/

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=46081988

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/5963/tlindex.htm

http://users.skynet.be/goedseel/telex-hp.html

http://www.orange-lab.com/tequeno/lp.htm

http://www.crammed.be/ssr/artists/telex/telex.htm

http://www.discog.info/telex.html

http://houbi.com/belpop/groups/telex.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A464104

http://www.swerquin.net/telex.htm

http://www.globaldarkness.com/articles/telex.htm

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/artistbio.asp?CTR=81819

http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=telex

http://park10.wakwak.com/~techno/telex.html

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=www.discomusic.com&q=telex&sitesearch=www.discomusic.com&client=pub-6425472760241401&forid=1&channel=5834469509&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23FF6600%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23FF6600%3BVLC%3A666666%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BALC%3A000033%3BLC%3A000033%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A666666%3BGIMP%3A666666%3BLH%3A50%3BLW%3A200%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.discomusic.com%2Fimages%2Fsite%2Fdisco-logo-or-left.jpg%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.discomusic.com%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en

Sunday, April 27, 2008

the jazzy side of STEVE MILLER (the leader of Steve Miller Band)















































STEVE MILLER - Born 2B Blue (1988)

Country:
USA
Genre:
Electronic, Jazz
Style:
Jazz Pop, Contemporary Jazz, Vocal


Credits:
Steve Miller - Synthesizer, Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals, Main Performer, Liner Notes, Producer, Arranger
Bruce Paulson - Trombone (
http://www.trombone-usa.com/paulson_bruce_bio.htm)
Ben Sidran (was a member of Steve Miller Band) - Arranger, Producer, Liner Notes, Keyboards (
http://www.bensidran.com/)
Steve Wiese - Engineer, Remixing
Phil Woods - Saxophone, Sax (Alto) (
http://www.philwoods.com/)
Billy Peterson - Bass, Arranger (
http://www.billypeterson.com/)
Milt Jackson - Vocals (Background), Vibraphone (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milt_Jackson)
Bob Malach - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor) (
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Bob+Malach?noanv=1)
Ricky Peterson - Synthesizer, Programming, Arranger (
http://www.rickypeterson.com/)

Tracklist:

01 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
02 Ya Ya
03 God Bless The Child
04 Filthy McNasty
05 Born To Be Blue
06 Mary Ann
07 Just A Little Bit
08 When Sunny Gets Blue
09 Willow Weep For Me
10 Red Top


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/106314208/sm.rar.html

"I bought this because I had heard Steve Miller sing "God Bless The Child" as part of a Les Paul tribute and wanted a copy of that tune. The rest of this CD has been a very pleasant surprise. It's hard to categorize because while it is filled with standards and has a lot of jazz DNA it is also unmistakably the Steve Miller Band harmonies and all. So; if you like old standards and you like the classic rock of the Steve Miller Band you may well love this CD. The guitar solos are reminiscent of Larry Carlton's work with Donald Fagan (post Steely Dan) and in spots I felt more than a twinge of Steely Dan nostalgia while I was listening. Rather than try to categorize this CD I would suggest that you listen to the samples and if you like what you hear climb aboard the Steve Miller Band's Pegasus and take a ride to a very different destination and a different time."

"This is the most different Miller album of all his career. Seems like Steve wanted to create a bookmark in his constant-style album list and change, just for a moment, the direction of his creativity process.The only way to do it was to make a cover album, and what a cover album he recorded! All the songs are very good, jazzy, and full of a soul-ballad style, rarely listened on steve.Ben Sidran on keyboards supports Stevie Guitar Miller in songs played with a lot of heart: God Bless The Child, Just A Little, Mary Ann...The finest moments occurs when Miller croons: ooooooh! and strums his guitar very, very patiently.Recommendable when you're happy and need to share your happiness with the one you love."

"This one's timeless. His choice of covers and the fabulous renditions of them will always be among my favorites. It's the only Steve Miller I own, so maybe this isn't one for the hard-core Steve Miller Band fans, but it is for anyone who likes a soulful jazzy smooth-as-caramel take on some great songs!"

"I had, like so many other people, forgot about this 1988 release from Miller. I like most people was still hearing the overplayed classics from Miller from the 70's, the songs radio still overplays. I would have not even thought of this album had I not seen the Miller Video for "Just A Little Bit", a song that Elvis Presley recorded for his forgotten "Raised on Rock" album back in 1973. I liked the Elvis version of the song and I liked Miller's updated version, so I asked my wife to get this Miller album for me for Christmas and she did. I looked at the song titles and thought oh no, after seeing "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" and "Ya Ya". However Miller adds his cosmic sound to "Zip A Dee Doo Dah and breathes life in the old Lee Dorsey tune, "Ya Ya" The album is a little too mellow in spots and towards the middle of the album songs start to sound the same but the fore-mentioned "Just a Little Bit" and the perky "Red Top pull the album back up and make the album worth having"

"Disregard the fact that the "space" in Steve Miller's "space blues" was a large part of why he had his own distinctive musical identity, because if you're going into 1988's Born 2B Blue looking for a return to his trademark space blues, or even a revitalization of his roots, you'll be sorely disappointed. In fact, this isn't even a blues album -- it's a jazz album, pitched halfway between soul-jazz and smooth jazz. He's able to draft such heavy-hitters as Phil Woods and Milt Jackson for guest spots, and his taste in material is quite nice, balancing the overly familiar ("Willow Weep for Me," "God Bless the Child") with relatively obscure R&B cuts ("Ya Ya," "Mary Ann") and selections that demonstrate that he's a genuine fan, such as Horace Silver's "Filthy McNasty." Now, does all this make Born 2B Blue a worthwhile genre exercise? Well, in a sense, it does, since Miller is passionate as he can be, turning in charmingly laid-back performances that may not be noteworthy, but are pleasant as can be. So, it winds up being something that's modestly impressive and enjoyable as it's playing, but no matter what its virtues are, it's more noteworthy for what it is than what it gives." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide


More review:
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/stevemillerband/albums/album/116750/review/6212613/born_2b_blue

BONUS

Ben Sidran was a member of Steve Miller band between 1968-1973 and 1990-1994.In 1973 Sidran left Steve Miller Band to pursue his solo jazz career.Steve Miller helped him as a guest guitarist on his 3rd album "Puttin' in Time on Planet Earth" (1973).More than ten years later Steve Miller appeared again on a Ben Sidran's album "On The Cool Side" (1985).Their next work was Sidran's "On The Live Side" (1987) album,which is a great live session.Soon Miller started to work with Sidran and his jazz musicians (Phil Woods,Ricky Peterson and Billy Peterson) on his only solo album "Born 2Be Blue" which was released in 1988.These jazz musicians later continued with Ben Sidran and/or joined Steve Miller band (Billy Peterson joined Steve Miller band (1990-1994) as well as Gordon Knudtson (since 1990)),as you can see on Miller's Wilde River (1993).I have added it to show you how good these musicians are in different styles (jazz-rock-blues).( The last track is a beautiful jazz song!)
Check the credits for more.

Ps:
I didn't add Sidran's "Too Hot To Touch" 1988 LP,though it is great and it's style is close to Miller's 1988 album ,even the credits are almost the same (Bob Malach/Ricky Peterson/Billy Peterson/Paul Peterson/Gordy Knudtson) ,but Steve Miller didn't played on it.
I will make an entry this year with Ben Sidran,when you can listen not only to this album,but also Sidran's 1973 album where Steve Miller participated.





BEN SIDRAN - On The Cool Side (1985)

Country:
USA
Genre:
Electronic, Jazz
Style: Jazz Pop, Smooth Jazz, Vocal

Credits:
Ricky Peterson - Synthesizer, Programming, Vocals (bckgr)
Patty Peterson - Vocals (bckgr)
Steve Miller - Vocals
Paul Peterson - Drum Programming
Ben Sidran - Synthesizer, Vocals, Fender Rhodes
Howard Arthur - Guitar
Mac Rebennack - Vocals
Billy Peterson - Bass, String Arrangements


Tracklist:

01 Mitsubishi Boy
02 Lover Man Pt. 1
03 Lover Man Pt. 2
04 Brown Eyes
05 On The Cool Side
06 Old Hoagy
07 Heat Wave
08 Take It Easy Greasy
09 Up A Lazy River
10 That's What The Note Said
11 Lost In The Stars


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/109490989/on_the_cool_side_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/109485266/on_the_cool_side_b.rar.html

"More like low-end fusion and smooth jazz. It contains electric drums and basically just programed music with Ben on vocals. His words in the songs seem more like poetry that jazz. I do not recommend it."

"This cd is great! I buy copies of this to give to my friends!"

"Ben Sidran's musical persona has always been one of cool-cat hipster, talk-singing his songs in a style reminiscent of his mentor, Mose Allison. On the Cool Side was one of his more commercially viable solo releases, finding an audience on the small coterie of contemporary jazz stations in the mid-'80s. The title track is a classic of the genre, an upbeat, joyous affirmation of life, featuring a backing vocal from old pal Steve Miller. Sidran's take on "Lover Man" adds a whole new funky dimension to that oft-recorded warhorse, as do his versions of "Heat Wave" and "Up a Lazy River," the latter featuring Dr. John on second vocal. The music on this recording is heavily electronicized, with programmed drums, synthesized riffs and Fender Rhodes piano, but it sure sounds like a lot of fun. And, you'll find yourself walking down the street singing "keep on searching, keep it on the cool side" with a big smile on your face." ~ Jim Newsom, All Music Guide

"Low end jazz a wonderful cd for those with very basic and uninformed ear. Simplistic and sutle."


BEN SIDRAN - On The Live Side (1987)

Country:
USA
Genre:
Electronic, Jazz
Style:
Jazz Pop, Contemporary Jazz, Vocal


Credits:
Ricky Peterson - Synthesizer, Vocals
Gordon Knudtson - Drums
Steve Miller - Guitar, Vocals
Ben Sidran - Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Phil Woods - Saxophone (Alto)
Billy Peterson - Bass
Tracklist:

01 The Doctor's Blues
02 Broad Daylight
03 Piano Players
04 Turn To The Music
05 A Good Travel Agent
06 There They Go
07 Lover Man
08 Mitsubishi Boy
09 On The Cool Side
10 Space Cowboy
11 Last Dance


Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/109484270/bs-_on_the_l_side_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/109482026/bs-_on_the_l_side_b.rar.html

"Does Ben Sidran sound familiar to you? This artist has changes all my perception on the multi gifted crooner with an excellent voice and with an awesome keyboard technique. Why? Today the crooner tradition is in a good shape and the new generation of crooners is more or less divided into two categories - the Tin Pan alley / American songbook represented by the likes of Harry Connick and Michael Buble, the second category by modern and musically more inventive crooners in the tradition of Mose Allison and Eddie Jefferson. This is where Ben Sidran belong and rules the ground. 14 years after his debut as a leader with the great album "I Lead A Life" (available only from Japan), the 1986 "One The Live Side" album represents on of the greatest live albums recorded among the crooners. Teamed with his working band of and guest appearances by guitarist Steve Miller and long-time alto sax friend Phil Woods, they give the listener a joyous performance in both acoustic- and electric format. The concert kicks-off with an all solo blues performance, then into duo and trio format and the latter five tunes with synth drums and keyboards. The beauty of this album is the great melodic approach and melodies, intellectual texts and the storyteller himself singing and talking. The "Piano Players" tune is telling the history of piano jazz players in 3 minutes....and what a story teller!
Sidran says it the best in the album opening introduction - "this is captured music, not manufactured music". He's 150% right, so get online to order! "

"The follow-up to the popular On the Cool Side, this recording captures Ben Sidran live in concert with his working band and a couple of guests, alto saxophonist Phil Woods and longtime pal, guitarist Steve Miller. The first half of the performance includes some of Sidran's earlier works, when he was working in an all-acoustic format, while the second half has more of the Cool Side sound. The concert is entertaining and the playing is first-rate, though listeners familiar with Sidran only through Cool Side may be surprised at the amount of space accorded his acoustic side, and the musical historian voice he employs on the older compositions. Especially interesting is a jazz reworking of the Sidran/Miller composition "Space Cowboy," which first appeared on the 1969 Steve Miller Band album Brave New World. This concert was also released on video." ~ Jim Newsom, All Music Guide


Read more here:
http://www.jazzwriter.com/files/bensidran.php

More about Ben Sidran with Steve Miller here:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=4310

http://www.classicwebs.com/miller_s.htm

About Ben Sidran:


STEVE MILLER BAND - Wilde River (1993)

Genre:
Rock
Style:
Pop Rock

Credits:
Artwork By [Cover Design] - Christie Rixford , Dog & Pony , Jim Welch
Bass, Piano - Billy Peterson
Drums, Percussion - Gordy Knudtson
Guitar - David Denny , Jay-Bird Koder
Guitar, Keyboards - Leo Sidran
Harmonica - Norton Buffalo
Organ - Ben Sidran
Piano [Acoustic] - Joey Heinemann
Producer, Mixed By - Steve Miller
Recorded By - Rick Fisher /Recorded By, Mixed By, Vocals, Guitar - Steve Wiese
Saxophone [Tenor] - Bob Malach

Tracklist:

01 Wide River (3:56)
02 Midnight Train (4:17)
03 Blue Eyes (5:21)
04 Lost In Your Eyes (3:43)
05 Perfect World (3:43)
06 Horse And Rider (4:07)
07 Circle Of Fire (3:43)
08 Conversation (4:10)
09 Cry Cry Cry (4:16)
10 Strange Blues (4:26)
11 Walks Like A Lady (3:55)
12 All Your Love (I Miss Loving) (5:15)

Link to download:

Product Description
1993 return to the fray of the veteran Texan rocker was his debut for Polygram Records. While it had generated some airplay at the time, it didn't sell near as many copies as his previous catalog at the time. As time goes on and Miller's work is reconsidered, many who discover this album find that it fits nicely alongside the rest of his work and regard it as one of his best.

"WIDE RIVER is a great latter-day album from the Steve Miller Band. Even though it was recorded in 1993, it still sounds like 1977 never ended when you listen to it. Anything on this album would have been right at home on GREATEST HITS 1974-1978, with the music still sounding like a pop version of the Allman Brothers Band's BROTHERS AND SISTERS. The fact that Miller, like most 70s rockers, advocates sanctions on Indonesia in retaliation for that country's trumped-up drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist makes this CD/cassette an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience."

"this is a great album you know why??, because even though it was 1993, the steve miller band was still sounding like it was the 1970's, when i first heard the song "wide river" i was blown away!!, i mean the melody and lyrics where pure vintage!!, remember that this was the time bands like nirvana, pearl jam, guns n'roses and even old timers like aerosmith where on top and all had great albums that year, but even though wide river never became that popular, it still reminded a lot of people that great music never dies, to me it was one of the great album the came out of the class of '93, maybe a lot of people may not agree with me, or just maybe i'm an old fashion guy who still enjoys good music!!p.s. cry,cry,cry is another great song, with a bluesy sound and great guitar!!"
"I think this album is what people expected as a follow up to Book of Dreams. It has the fat guitar tones and mix of Fly Like an Eagle and Book of Dreams. It is also the same songwriting style of those albums. The only thing different from Fly Like an Eagle is that the experimental synth intros are not there. If CDs held 150 minutes of music, I would have Book of Dreams, Fly Like an Eagle, and Wide River all on one CD."

More review:



Steve Miller news:

Lyrics:
RULES OF ROCK by guitarist Robert Strain 1) All sax players look the same 2) All drummers are mad, and are always late 3) All singers are vain and precious 4) All keyboard players are slightly eccentric - 'boffins' 5) All bass players are sensible (van driving, arranging gigs, doing the accounts) 6) All guitarists are handsome and brilliant - well, I would say that ;-) Actually, all guitarists just want to play guitar (we can't be bothered with all the other nonsense). Well, that and attend to all the women the singer rejects! :)