The Monkees: The Monkees (1966) MONO Vintage Colgems LP Transfer

Here it is, the Monkees terrific debut album in it's original MONO format, straight from a vintage Colgems vinyl pressing. Sure, the Monkees didn't do much more than sing on this record, but Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the producers and writers behind the vast majority of the tunes on this record made sure that the music was concise, catchy and played by top notch session musicians who weren't just there to phone it in and get their check. The instrumental tracks are full of razor-edged jangly guitars, wild drums and just the right amount of psychedelia and fuzz sprinkled throughout. And you can't forget to include the fantastic vocal performances from Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. The result is a dizzying cocktail of bubblegum, garage rock and pop balladry that gave the group major chart and commercial success.

Ripped to HQ .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and dbpoweramp w/ LAME 3.97. Flat transfers, no pop removal, surface noise reduction or EQ changes.

Get the album HERE

Enjoy!

-Casey

The Monkees: "More Of The Monkees" & "Headquarters" in MONO Vintage Vinyl Rips

It's been a while since I've done a podcast so I thought I'd share something in the meantime. I recently ripped to mp3 my vintage vinyl copies of the Monkees 2nd and 3rd albums More of The Monkees and Headquarters, respectively. Both albums here are presented in their original and superior mono mixes. More of The Monkees in particular sounds miles better than my remastered CD copy, Jeff Barry's crisp pop production really comes to life on these vintage vinyl pressings in ways CDs can't quite replicate . Chip Douglas's production on Headquarters was never that great to begin with but the sound of the original vinyl pressing is significantly less dulled down than the CD reissues. However, Douglas's production would improve tenfold on the Monkees next album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., which is generally considered to be among the best Monkees LPs.

Ripped to HQ .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and dbpoweramp w/ LAME 3.97. Flat transfers, no pop removal, surface noise reduction or EQ changes.

Get the More of the Monkees HERE

Get Headquarters HERE

Enjoy!

-Casey

The Way Podcast: Paul Revere & The Raiders "Revolution", The Rainy Daze "That Acapulco Gold"

On tonight's show, get your kicks from Bubblegum Proto-Punks Paul Revere & the Raiders. I played tracks from their excellent 1967 LP Revolution! where they were once again teamed up with producer Terry Melcher who gave the band a muscular but crystal clear sound. I also played songs from Denver Soulful/Psych Garage Rock outfit The Rainy Daze's one and only LP That Acapulco Gold. The link to stream the podcast is below the pics. Enjoy!

THE WAY 11/19/2012

The Way 11/8/2012: Every Mother's Son Back Vinyl, The Cyrkle "The Minx" OST

On tonights show I played my vinyl copy of Every Mother's Son's 2nd and final LP called Every Mother's Son's Back, which came out just six months after their first LP was released in early 1967. I played the entire album after showcasing a few tunes from their excellent bubblegum debut. Technical glitches around the 11 to 12 minute marks didnt allow me to play the first 2 tracks from Back so I used my .mp3 copies for those two tracks before I could get the turntables working again. But the sound quality is just as good and I was able to play the rest of the album from my vintage vinyl copy after the turntable fiasco (probably a bum cartridge).

After EMS I played select tracks from the Cyrkle's soundtrack to the X-rated 1969 film "The Minx". The album essentially constitutes as the 3rd Cyrkle LP after Red Rubber Ball and Neon. The soundtrack is performed and written entirely by the group and their trademark mellow soft-pop/psych sound remains very much intact. Links to stream or download the podcast are below the pictures, enjoy!

THE WAY 11/8/2012

The Way Podcast 11/1/2012: Simon & Garfunkel "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" MONO MIX, plus rare Cyrkle Tracks

On tonight's show I played my vintage, rare vinyl record of Simon & Garfunkel's majestic 1966 folk-pop LP Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, in it's original mono format. The mix is significantly different from the more circulated stereo mix, the complexity of the instrumentation is more noticeable, the vocal harmonies are tighter and the bass levels are higher. All in all, it makes for a much better listening experience in my opinion, yet another record that benefits from that "punchiness" that only mono sound can provide. I played the entirety of the album, and I think most of you will be impressed with the sound quality as the vinyl copy I found is exceptionally clean.

I played some rare singles and B-Sides from the soft-pop group The Cyrkle after I finished playing the Simon & Garfunkel record. Not sure if any of these off-album singles had any chart success or if they were intended for a follow-up record to Neon but they are great songs. The link is below to stream the podcast, or right-click on the link and hit "save as..." to download as an .mp3. Enjoy.

The Way 11/1/2012

The Way Podcast: 10/26/2012 Return To Form; Jangle, Bubblegum, Garage and Psych

Tonight's episode was a welcome return to the original format of the show, playing my favorite obscurities from the Psychedelic Pop era of the 1960s. Tonight's set leaned heavily on jangly bubblegum acts like the Monkees' Headquarters (presented here in mono sourced from original vinyl), Every Mother's Son and early Grass Roots, Chicago garage-popsters like New Colony Six and the Cryan' Shames, and more psych oriented stuff from the Five American's Progressions. Links to download and stream the podcast are below the pics. Enjoy!

Part 1

Part 2

The Way Podcast, Oct. 4th: The Clash Mk. II; Out Of Control

In 1984, the newly reformed line-up of the Clash embarked on the now legendary "Out Of Control" tour. Gone was Mick Jones, the excessive stoned grooves, the arty electronic-dance-rock they had begun to pioneer. Strummer and co. vowed to get back to basics and play Punk Rock music.  The band featured two new guitar players, Nick Sheppard on lead and Vince White on rhythm. The Clash's most technically skilled drummer to date Pete Howard had replaced Terry Chimes in 1983 and remained in the group after the firing of Mick Jones. Although many dismissed this version of the Clash as a shell of the former line-up, the Clash Mk. II were a fantastic band in their own right. Strummer kept his promise to rid the band's sound of excess,  they played blazing fast, razor sharp Punk, with a somewhat "post-apocalyptic" edge that only the Reagan/Thatcher reign in the mid 80s could inspire.

The Clash Mk. II

On the show I play songs from the Clash II's early demos recorded in Winter of '83, tunes from their live tour in 1984 all the way to their only album statement, the vastly underrated electro-punk freakshow Cut the Crap (1985). No Mick? No problem. Listen here: The Way: October 4th