[ aquarius records catalogue

IMPORTANT (Please read to avoid confusion): Some items below may be tagged with a bold, red, all-caps OUT OF PRINT/UNAVAILABLE notice. This does NOT mean that all other items not so tagged are, in fact, in stock — or for that matter, in print and available, though there's a good chance they are. Some folks get confused on this point, and we can see why, so please read this for further clarification and other important before-you-order information. Unlike some mailorder websites, we don't have an electronic inventory system linked to our site, so you can't be sure of what we actually have or don't have in stock at any given moment without asking us — please email our mailorder department for availability status — or better yet, just go ahead and place your order using our shopping cart function and we'll get back to you with the status of each item. If you have general non-mailorder questions, email the store.

Showing results 651 through 700 of 3202.

The re-issue of Beat Happening's debut from 1985! Includes a heap of rare stuff for your lo-fi true punk-hearted listenin' enjoyment.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

Yep, you guessed it... Beatles songs rocked out Metallica style! Like us, you might've marvelled at Beatallica back in 2001 when a number of their mp3s were making the rounds around the thing called the Internet. Over the years they've received the blessing from the Metallica camp, but were threatened with legal action by Sony (who hold a major chunk of The Beatles publishing rights). This is the first time their tunes have been available in the retail arena, so it seems nothing further came of that scare. Anyhoo, 'twas funny then and it's funny now. Don't know if we really need a full album's worth. We got our yuks'n'chortles out after a couple tunes, but we do give these Milwaukee-ites kudos for their stamina and gusto and good taste in music. A hoot in small doses.

MPEG stream: Sandman
MPEG stream: Helvester Of Skelter

60 tracks... previously unreleased and rare Beatles material circa late '50s through to the mid-'60s.

Have fun pointing out how each song sounds like a different indie rock band. The winner so far: "Tomorrow Never Knows" sounds EXACTLY like Bugskull (or rather, Bugskull sound exactly like "Tomorrow Never Knows"). This comp is much much better than the first volume. 45 tracks... previously unreleased and rare Beatles material circa mid to late '60s.

50 tracks... previously unreleased and rare Beatles material circa White Album, Let It Be and Abbey Road! Lots of demo recordings of classic songs in their embryonic stage... cool!

We said it about Nirvana a while back, and we'll say it about the Beatles, people who say they hate the Beatles are LYING. And if they're not lying, well, then we just feel sorry for them. We're perfectly willing to admit to Beatles oversaturation, and fair enough if you've heard enough Beatles on classic rock radio, that you never want to hear any again, but that's so unfair to a band's legacy, especially a band who wrote so many amazing songs. Take Led Zeppelin, imagine NEVER having heard them, and then getting your ears on "Stairway To Heaven" or "Immigrant Song" or "No Quarter" or "When The Levee Breaks". Your mind would be BLOWN, and you'd suddenly realize how much every metal band you ever loved owed to Zeppelin. We remember playing Neu! for a friend whose favorite band was Stereolab, she had never heard Neu! but the second the first song started, her whole idea of Stereolab changed, and in fact, if we remember correctly, she said something like "Stereolab is a total Neu! ripoff!!"... So imagine, for a second, being super into pop music, and never having heard the Beatles, needless to say, you would be overwhelmed by their sheer genius, their utter mastery of pop music, and how much they defined the template for almost all pop to come. No band since has such a distinct and immediately recognizable sound, or such an expansive and hit filled catalog. And yeah, is this reissue campaign number 5, 6, 10? So odds are most of you have all the Beatles records, or at least the ones you like, and probably, you've had your fill of old record nerds getting all misty eyed for the Nth time, and talking about remastered sound quality and stereo versus mono. But, we thought as long as these records are available again, nicely repackaged, and indeed sounding better than ever, we'd make the case for one of our favorites, a commonly dismissed, overlooked, and surprisingly depressive Beatles gem. Beatles For Sale came out in 1964 (we think), and was met with much confusion. Sure there were hits, "Eight Days A Week" was massive, "I'll Follow The Sun" has always been a favorite. But then there was record opener "No Reply", which begins as a total classic sounding, but is broken up by some seriously caustic (and almost heavy) parts, with voice on the verge of cracking, guitars distorted, and the hook, one of the Beatles' best. But our heart belongs to the second track "I'm A Loser", another total classic sounding Beatles jam, with incredible harmonies, and dark lyrics that are at odds with the song's lush sound and groovy feel, acoustic guitars, walking basslines, all sorts of melodic filigree, it's been 20 years or more since we first heard it, and not only are we still not tired of it (maybe partly cuz it NEVER gets played on the radio) but it still ranks up there with our all time favorite pop songs. The one strange thing about Beatles For Sale, is the mix of dark brooding lush pop, and stomping rock and roll numbers. We had sort of forgotten about the more rocking tracks, cuz to be honest, when we made a tape of this way back when, and later put it on our iPod, we actually left those tracks off, not cuz they're BAD, just because they're not what made us fall in love with this record in the first place. Strip away those rockers, and this is a gorgeous, introspective, hook filled, dark and subtly depressive pop gem. Fancy new digipak packaging, new liner notes, rare photos, a mini documentary about For Sale, and yeah, it's remastered and sounds AWESOME! PS we've got a bunch of the other newly reissued remastered digipacked Beatles discs in stock too, love 'em too, just happened to get extra excited to write about this one!

MPEG stream: I'm A Loser
MPEG stream: No Reply
MPEG stream: I'll Follow The Sun
MPEG stream: Every Little Thing

We said it about Nirvana a while back, and we'll say it about the Beatles, people who say they hate the Beatles are LYING. And if they're not lying, well, then we just feel sorry for them. We're perfectly willing to admit to Beatles oversaturation, and fair enough if you've heard enough Beatles on classic rock radio, that you never want to hear any again, but that's so unfair to a band's legacy, especially a band who wrote so many amazing songs. Take Led Zeppelin, imagine NEVER having heard them, and then getting your ears on "Stairway To Heaven" or "Immigrant Song" or "No Quarter" or "When The Levee Breaks". Your mind would be BLOWN, and you'd suddenly realize how much every metal band you ever loved owed to Zeppelin. We remember playing Neu! for a friend whose favorite band was Stereolab, she had never heard Neu! but the second the first song started, her whole idea of Stereolab changed, and in fact, if we remember correctly, she said something like "Stereolab is a total Neu! ripoff!!"... So imagine, for a second, being super into pop music, and never having heard the Beatles, needless to say, you would be overwhelmed by their sheer genius, their utter mastery of pop music, and how much they defined the template for almost all pop to come. No band since has such a distinct and immediately recognizable sound, or such an expansive and hit filled catalog. And yeah, is this reissue campaign number 5, 6, 10? So odds are most of you have all the Beatles records, or at least the ones you like, and probably, you've had your fill of old record nerds getting all misty eyed for the Nth time, and talking about remastered sound quality and stereo versus mono. But, we thought as long as these records are available again, nicely repackaged, and indeed (for the most part) sounding better than ever, we'd make the case for one of our favorites, a commonly dismissed, overlooked, and surprisingly depressive Beatles gem. Beatles For Sale came out in 1964 (we think), and was met with much confusion. Sure there were hits, "Eight Days A Week" was massive, "I'll Follow The Sun" has always been a favorite. But then there was record opener "No Reply", which begins as a total classic sounding, but is broken up by some seriously caustic (and almost heavy) parts, with voice on the verge of cracking, guitars distorted, and the hook, one of the Beatles' best. But our heart belongs to the second track "I'm A Loser", another total classic sounding Beatles jam, with incredible harmonies, and dark lyrics that are at odds with the song's lush sound and groovy feel, acoustic guitars, walking basslines, all sorts of melodic filigree, it's been 20 years or more since we first heard it, and not only are we still not tired of it (maybe partly cuz it NEVER gets played on the radio) but it still ranks up there with our all time favorite pop songs. The one strange thing about Beatles For Sale, is the mix of dark brooding lush pop, and stomping rock and roll numbers. We had sort of forgotten about the more rocking tracks, cuz to be honest, when we made a tape of this way back when, and later put it on our iPod, we actually left those tracks off, not cuz they're BAD, just because they're not what made us fall in love with this record in the first place. Strip away those rockers, and this is a gorgeous, introspective, hook filled, dark and subtly depressive pop gem. Fancy new digipak packaging, new liner notes, rare photos, a mini documentary about For Sale, and yeah, it's remastered and sounds AWESOME! PS: we've got a bunch of the other newly reissued remastered digipacked Beatles discs in stock too, love 'em too, just happened to get extra excited to write about this one! Oh, and if you're feeling extra splurge-y, there's also the Beatles Mono Box set which is in a league all its own (and which was at the tip-top of Cup's 2009 favorites list). The limited edition 13-disc box set contains all of their albums up to and including the White Album plus a collection of singles and eps - all in mono as they were originally produced! Unlike their stereo counterparts, the mono remasters haven't been given the modern rock treatment (i.e, everything loud). Hence, they have a stunning dynamic range, and sound a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Apart from the stereo versus mono distinctions, the recordings definitely sound different, and in many cases are actually different, as the stereo versions were often mixed at a much later date. Each of the cds is packaged in a beautiful mini replica lp jacket complete with mini replica inner sleeve to boot. Unfortunately the mono albums are not currently available individually, so this is the only way to get 'em... and only for a limited time. If you want one, we'd be happy to order one in for you!

MPEG stream: I'm A Loser
MPEG stream: No Reply
MPEG stream: I'll Follow The Sun
MPEG stream: Every Little Thing

Stripped (pun not intended... really!) clean of Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound string and choral orchestrations, this is still not the Let It Be (original working title: Get Back) originally envisioned by The Beatles back in 1969, but is a new vision of it from Paul McCartney. Reassembled, rearranged, and remixed from the original tapes, the 2003 album has a different track listing (gone are "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It", added is "Don't Let Me Down") and running order.

In case you haven't heard the ruckus, the Beatles albums have all been remastered and reissued with fancy new digipak packaging, new liner notes, rare photos, and more! We've got 'em, and we're loving them! You might've read our recent glowing review of For Sale, well, Magical Mystery Tour is another particular fave around these parts. A wild mix of groundbreaking bizarre psychedelia and sumptuous heart-melting pop including "I Am The Walrus", "Blue Jay Way", "Hello Goodbye", "Penny Lane", and "All You Need Is Love" (the birthplace of math-rock... okay, maybe not really, but Lennon sure sings his way around a bunch of different meters)... yes! Oh, and if you're feeling extra splurge-y, there's also the Beatles Mono Box set which is in a league all its own (and which was at the tip-top of Cup's 2009 favorites list). The limited edition 13-disc box set contains all of their albums up to and including the White Album plus a collection of singles and eps - all in mono as they were originally produced! Unlike their stereo counterparts, the mono remasters haven't been given the modern rock treatment (i.e, everything loud). Hence, they have a stunning dynamic range, and sound a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Apart from the stereo versus mono distinctions, the recordings definitely sound different, and in many cases are actually different, as the stereo versions were often mixed at a much later date. Each of the cds is packaged in a beautiful mini replica lp jacket complete with mini replica inner sleeve to boot. Unfortunately the mono albums are not currently available individually, so this is the only way to get 'em... and only for a limited time. If you want one, we'd be happy to order one in for you!

It's Revolver. Remastered. If for some reason you don't already have this, get it. And some folks will be happy to get it again.

It's Rubber Soul. Remastered. If for some reason you don't already have this, get it. And some folks will be happy to get it again.

Are we really going to have to write a review of the White Album? That's like a born again Christian writing a review of the Bible. 2 questions? Do you have this already? If yes, then maybe you want to get it again for the "improved" remastered sound. Your call, but if any album could stand to be purchased more than once, this one certainly qualifies. If no, then why not?

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

Holland's Beau Hunks are a "documentary orchestra" famous for their historically-accurate recordings of Leroy Shield's music from the Little Rascals films as well as that of curious genius Raymond Scott. With this project they turn their careful attention to arrangements by Paul Whiteman for his Sax Soc-tette, circa 1938. The 16 tracks on offer here include compositions by Irving Berlin, Bix Beiderbecke, and (fittingly) Raymond Scott, among others. Delightful.

MPEG stream: Dreamways Of The Mystic - Part One: Overture
MPEG stream: Return To Punjab
MPEG stream: Songs Of The Forest People

Yes, it's a cd-r, but we're stoked to have it -- it's the only way to get a hold of this, the rare soundtrack to cult underground director and Crowley-ite Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising (begun in the mid-'60s, completed in 1980). Originally Jimmy Page was Bobby and the Freedom Orchestra play electric guitars, Fender Rhodes electric pianos, some synths and bass...there's two drummers, and a trumpet player. The result is a sometimes sinister, sometimes blissful, always beautiful and "cosmic" drifting soundscape. Gurgling old-school electronics blend with propulsive rock drumming, while psychedelic guitar soloing tears across the sunset horizon created by the synths...The combination results in what you might imagine an early '70s Tangerine Dream/Ennio Morricone collaboration might have sounded like. It's indeed a lost classic. And the composer's life story is at least as weird and interesting as the music... In the late Sixties, Bobby was a rising star in the LA rock-pop scene, hanging with Zappa, the Beach Boys, and Love. But then a drug deal went bad and he was sent to death row for murder, arrested 3 fays before the Manson killing spree. Fortunately for him, his sentence was eventually commuted, but he's spent like the last 30 years in jail. He's been a model prisoner, pursuing his talents in music and art despite his incarceration, and you'd think that the parole board would have let him out by now (he's been paying his debt to society longer than anybody else has for a similar crime, we're told) but sadly for Bobby, he's got to deal with his association with the notorious Charles Manson. While never a member of Manson's Family (a common misconception), he did play in a band with Manson, and the media hype surrounding anything to do with Manson hasn't helped Bobby's case, as you might imagine! (At least that's the way Beausoleil tells it. But the more one delves into the story of "Lucifer Rising", the weirder things get -- for instance, apparently Bobby was supposed to PLAY the role of Lucifer in the original 1966 version of Anger's film, but the two had a falling out and Bobby allegedly stole the footage and buried it in Death Valley! How this jibes with him later writing this soundtrack, we don't know.) Yet, not being one to simply sit in his cell and rot, Bobby has, as we said, kept quite busy within the clutches of the California Penal system. And now, with his wife Barbara dealing with business on the "outside", he's started the White Dog label to release his music. So far they've put out this soundtrack and also a couple of Bobby's newer compositions, stuff more in the New Age vein. They haven't yet made the jump to "real" cds, but their cd-rs are professionally duplicated and printed, with computer art by Bobby himself. Although for obvious reasons Bobby wouldn't probably approve of the use of the word to describe himself and this soundtrack, in the Aquarius Records' musical context it's quite appropriate: Cult!

RealAudio clip: track 1
RealAudio clip: track 5

We were able to get Bobby Beausoleil's legendary Lucifer Rising soundtrack on cd for a brief time, but it seems to be unavailable again, so for now, this super limited picture disc may be your only chance to hear this awesomely freaked out music. Side A was recorded live in San Francisco in 1967, and features a killer live version of "The Magick Powerhouse of Oz". The B side is a different version recorded a decade later, in Tracy State Prison where Bobby and and least one other Manson family member was doing time. Here's a truncated version of our review for the now out of print cd version to give you more background on Beausoleil and the Lucifer Rising soundtrack: The rare soundtrack to cult underground director and Crowley-ite Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising (begun in the mid-'60s, completed in 1980). Originally Jimmy Page was supposed to do the score, but he bowed out and the music was instead handled by another cult figure, the musical visionary and imprisoned killer Bobby Beausoliel, who composed and performed this spacey psychedelic opus with his Freedom Orchestra (presumably all fellow prisoners with Bobby). Bobby and the Freedom Orchestra play electric guitars, Fender Rhodes electric pianos, some synths and bass...there's two drummers, and a trumpet player. The result is a sometimes sinister, sometimes blissful, always beautiful and "cosmic" drifting soundscape. Gurgling old-school electronics blend with propulsive rock drumming, while psychedelic guitar soloing tears across the sunset horizon created by the synths...The combination results in what you might imagine an early '70s Tangerine Dream/Ennio Morricone collaboration might have sounded like. It's indeed a lost classic. And the composer's life story is at least as weird and interesting as the music... In the late Sixties, Bobby was a rising star in the LA rock-pop scene, hanging with Zappa, the Beach Boys, and Love. But then a drug deal went bad and he was sent to death row for murder, arrested 3 days before the Manson killing spree. Fortunately for him, his sentence was eventually commuted, but he's spent like the last 30 years in jail. He's been a model prisoner, pursuing his talents in music and art despite his incarceration, and you'd think that the parole board would have let him out by now (he's been paying his debt to society longer than anybody else has for a similar crime, we're told) but sadly for Bobby, he's got to deal with his association with the notorious Charles Manson. While never a member of Manson's Family (a common misconception), he did play in a band with Manson, and the media hype surrounding anything to do with Manson hasn't helped Bobby's case, as you might imagine! (At least that's the way Beausoleil tells it. But the more one delves into the story of "Lucifer Rising", the weirder things get -- for instance, apparently Bobby was supposed to PLAY the role of Lucifer in the original 1966 version of Anger's film, but the two had a falling out and Bobby allegedly stole the footage and buried it in Death Valley! How this jibes with him later writing this soundtrack, we don't know.) Although for obvious reasons Bobby wouldn't probably approve of the use of the word to describe himself and this soundtrack, in the Aquarius Records' musical context it's quite appropriate: Cult!

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

We've carried this longtime aQ fave several times over the years, in multiple formats, in varying degrees of availability, unfortunately, it never seemed to stick around for long. For a while we were even in contact with Beausoleil himself via his wife who was handling his business for a while, trying to get copies. Well, now you can thank the fine folks at Ajna, who have not only reissued it again, but added TONS of unreleased material, included all sorts of new, original artwork, pressed it up on VINYL and packed it all in a super deluxe box. These are expensive, but so worth it, after all, it's the only way to currently get Lucifer Rising, and of course it's a limited pressing, so these won't be around forever... Ahhh Lucifer Rising, the rare soundtrack to cult underground director and Crowley-ite Kenneth Anger's film Lucifer Rising (begun in the mid-'60s, completed in 1980). Originally Jimmy Page was supposed to do the score, but he bowed out and the music was instead handled by another cult figure, the musical visionary and imprisoned killer Bobby Beausoleil, who composed and performed this spacey psychedelic opus with his Freedom Orchestra (presumably all fellow prisoners with Bobby). Bobby and the Freedom Orchestra play electric guitars, Fender Rhodes electric pianos, some synths and bass...there's two drummers, and a trumpet player. The result is a sometimes sinister, sometimes blissful, always beautiful and "cosmic" drifting soundscape. Gurgling old-school electronics blend with propulsive rock drumming, while psychedelic guitar soloing tears across the sunset horizon created by the synths...The combination results in what you might imagine an early '70s Tangerine Dream/Ennio Morricone collaboration might have sounded like. It's indeed a lost classic. And the composer's life story is at least as weird and interesting as the music... In the late Sixties, Bobby was a rising star in the LA rock-pop scene, hanging with Zappa, the Beach Boys, and Love. But then a drug deal went bad and he was sent to death row for murder, arrested 3 days before the Manson killing spree. Fortunately for him, his sentence was eventually commuted, but he's spent like the last 30 years in jail. He's been a model prisoner, pursuing his talents in music and art despite his incarceration, and you'd think that the parole board would have let him out by now (he's been paying his debt to society longer than anybody else has for a similar crime, we're told) but sadly for Bobby, he's got to deal with his association with the notorious Charles Manson. While never a member of Manson's Family (a common misconception), he did play in a band with Manson, and the media hype surrounding anything to do with Manson hasn't helped Bobby's case, as you might imagine! (At least that's the way Beausoleil tells it. But the more one delves into the story of "Lucifer Rising", the weirder things get -- for instance, apparently Bobby was supposed to PLAY the role of Lucifer in the original 1966 version of Anger's film, but the two had a falling out and Bobby allegedly stole the footage and buried it in Death Valley! How this jibes with him later writing this soundtrack, we don't know.) Yet, not being one to simply sit in his cell and rot, Bobby has, as we said, kept quite busy within the clutches of the California Penal system. This new vinyl box set, includes all the music on the various versions we've carried over the years, plus SO MUCH MORE. This version includes newly remastered recordings spanning 11 years, from the original 1967 recordings to the Tracy Prison recordings in 1978. 4 lps, 2 of which are entirely unreleased material, nine new pieces of art by Beausoleil, 8 on the printed inner sleeves, and one 2 foot by 3 foot poster, a second poster, a massive booklet, with tons of new liner notes, and loads of photos, the box gorgeous and hefty, full color outside and inside, this is THE outsider lost seventies occult rock soundtrack holy grail for sure. And although for obvious reasons Bobby wouldn't probably approve of the use of the word to describe himself and this soundtrack, in the aQuarius recOrds' musical context it's quite appropriate: CULT!

Reissue of obscure '70s artifact, for Devendra fans for sure.

These Beautiful New Born Children make brash, trashy garage rawk with distorted squawky vocals very much in the tradition of The Sonics or Billy Childish and his many bands (Thee Headcoats, Thee Milkshakes, Thee Buff Medways, Thee Mighty Caesars, etc). Think of it as the musical equivalent of your unruly buddy who bangs on your door in the middle of the night, raises a rowdy ruckus, spills cheap beer everywhere, breaks things, and refuses to go home. Case in point, the fiery final track "Up And Down And Round And Round" tears on and on and on. You can try and fight it, or give in and smash a few beer bottles yourself.

MPEG stream: Do The Do
MPEG stream: Up And Down And Round And Round

Beautiful Skin return... well, sort of. You might recall the duo's (Nick Forte and Ross Totino) fine debut album back in 2000 (Revolve on the Gold Standard Laboratories label) which we thoroughly dug. Sure as with most of Forte's musical projects, BS was very inspired by late '70s / early '80s bands such as Wire, Cabaret Voltaire, PiL and New Order, but they took the influences and ran with them... both prior to *and* further than where most of the current crop of similarly influenced bands have ventured. Totino brought a lightness not to mention a meticulous craftsmanship to Forte's usually brooding, raw dourness. Then, the duo became a quartet (with the addition of Charles Burst and Mitch Rackin), raising expectations even further. And then, they promptly disbanded. Ack! Sadly, they left us hangin' wanting more of their cool atmospheric propulsive synth-wave goodness. In the years since, Forte released music under another moniker (Christmas Decorations), but it paled in comparison. Now GSL has brought Beautiful Skin back into view with this collection of rarities. You might be thinking it's a bit odd to have a release of this sort considering the short life of the band, but actually this baker's dozen includes previously unreleased material that was recorded by the foursome just prior to the split. This bittersweetly revealing document unveils the promising directions in which the group was heading -- a broader range that ran the extremes from the bouyantly poppy (the 2-minute "Skin") to the more ominous and proggy (the 12-minute "Magic Solutions To Life's Many Problems"). Also included are tracks from their first demo (recorded in 1998) and their Work Will Set You Free 7". Sooo, let's be happy that these recordings have been made available, but let's also be bummed out once more by the early demise of a great band.

MPEG stream: Skin
MPEG stream: Magic Solutions To Life's Many Problems

Channelling the early strains of Joy Division, Wire, and maybe a bit of Cabaret Voltaire and PiL are these two men. Nick Forte (ex-Rorschach!) and Rossano Totino churn the moody new wave machine into the next dimension. And they do it so well. Cool, varied and effected vocals stream through the synth-laden landscape. Fans of the above-mentioned bands as well as New Order and anyone who freaked out at the recent super-smooth Antarctica cd need this. A very very cool album with some very very cool cover art. Oh yes, and did I mention very very recommended.

RealAudio clip: Revolve

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY. Very cool. Beautiful Skin are Nick Forte (formerly of Rorschach) and Rossano Totino. Like a distant younger cousin to Wire (Chairs Missing) and early Devo. Low, thick, rubber-y synth rumblings with slightly unhinged Blixa-esque vocals. These two songs left me perched on the edge of my seat eager for more, and word has it there's a full length on the way.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

Latest from these Dutch stoner rock stalwarts. Sure, we like it 'cause our pal Guy Pinhas used to be in the band and co-wrote some of the stuff on this album, but even if Guy wasn't involved we'd still think this was pretty darn good, really. Heavy, rockin, and kinda weird and arty in spots. Modern psychedelia that's sorta like a cross between Wino's Spirit Caravan and something a little

RealAudio clip: Liberator
RealAudio clip: Hour Glass

When we first heard a track from this album a few months ago, our immediate reaction was A) wow, we really had better find a way to get it for the store and B) if and when we do, it'll probably have to be a Record Of The Week. And that was just from hearing ONE song. Fortunately, we did manage to get some of these imports, and the rest of the record only confirmed and amplified our first impression. Record Of The Week it is! (Actually, some of us here, like Andee, were already Bebey fans from way back, but for others of us, gosh, what an introduction...) As you know, we've certainly seen a bunch of great groovy African reissues lately (in fact, there's a couple others elsewhere on this week's list). But this collection of the late Cameroonian composer & writer Francis Bebey's music is rather unique, to say the least. And it's got something in common with another cool item we're reviewing this week, the vintage "electronic soul" compilation Personal Space. As the title indicates, the focus here is on the especially electronic side of his discography, from the era when multi-instrumentalist Bebey experimented with the latest gear - tape recorders, keyboards, drum machines - to record his own music at home in Paris, making for delightfully dancey, avant-garde Afropop. The track we had heard was the first one here, "New Track", an over 8 minute long number that starts off with tinkling thumb piano before blaring synth stabs, burbling keys, and ticking drum machine rhythms kick in... pretty soon, the song has become dense with loops and layers, repeating vocals about bananas and potatoes and politics creating a kind of cheerfully confusing mantra. It's as fresh and charming and mesmeric and groovy today as it was when Bebey recorded it in back in '82. Though this would pretty much be worth it just for that memorable song alone, the rest of this 14-track collection is full of further futuristic Afrofunk highlights. Meaning, more blurting synthesized horns, head bopping basslines, thumping electronic beats augmented by hand percussion, and laidback vocals - some spoken, some sung, in various languages (Duala, French and English). Bebey's talent on classical guitar is also evident. It's quite an amazing mix altogether; 'makossa' music from Cameroon meets "Blow Your Head" style Moog outbursts (as on the woozy instrumental track "Super Jingle", with its skronky synth shiver set amidst hypnotic percussive pulsations). Sometimes the mood gets emotive in other ways, Bebey bringing the beats down and singing sadly in a soft, ragged voice... Here we will go out on a limb, and make a wild hypothetical rock crit "cross between this and that" equation, of Konono No.1 + Arthur Russell, whattya think? Basically, this is as cool as anything you could imagine something called "African Electronic Music 1975-1982" might possibly sound like! And maybe even cooler than that. Packaged with liner notes in both English and French.

MPEG stream: New Track
MPEG stream: La Condition Masculine
MPEG stream: Pygmy Love Song
MPEG stream: Savanah Georgia

We made the last Francis Bebey compilation from the Born Bad label, African Electronic Music 1975-1982 our Record of The Week back in 2012 (was it really 62 lists ago? Geez!). Yet, as much as love this Cameroonian musician and composer, if this new compilation was somehow more of the same, we wonder if we would bestow it the same honor. Hmmm... Guess the point we're trying to make is that this new compilation, Psychedelic Sanza 1982-1984 is an altogether different but equally amazing collection, the sound well removed from the electronic afro-pop of its predecessor. Why is that? Well. it helps to know that the sanza is an African thumb piano, also known as the mbira or kalimba, among many other names, depending upon region and design, and this compilation focuses specifically on the hypnotic ethereal music Bebey made with this instrument. Seriously, ever since the first compilation was released we've been hoping one would come out documenting this subsequent period as these are some of our very favorite recordings by Bebey. Music that is so incredibly groovy, but distinctly otherworldly, moving and hauntingly transportive that we HAD to make this one Record of the Week as well! Compiled from recordings released on the Ozileka and Original Music labels from 1982-1984, Bebey's sanza recordings are less pop structured and more tribal and rhythmic, enhanced by loping funk-driven basslines and propulsive percussion. Yet despite their funkiness, they mark a more serious side of musical study away from the humorous pop songs Bebey became famous for and into a more tonal world of ethnological polyphony. The tonal range of the sanza doesn't adhere neatly to Western tuning standards either, adding a kind of mystical quality to the overall song structure, like a primitive version of minimalist composition. There's a dreamier element as well, as the fuzzy metallic bell tones of the sanza coalesce into mesmerizing whorls of sound with Bebey's voice floating above, sometimes in keening wordless bird calls of sound or deeply sustained ragged warbles. In others, Bebey sings alternately in French, English and Duala, sometimes spoken English like in "Forest Nativity" about a jungle child born to conquer wickedness, or in beautiful heartfelt laments like the french-sung "Sanza Tristesse". The only liner notes provided are a remembrance by Bebey's son Patrick who recalls his initial misgivings with the instrument because he was trained on piano and the sanza never sounded right. Yet eventually his father won him over by gently prodding him to play and see what he could do with it. He writes, "Playing the sansa, you enter a world that enraptures you in a very serene and mesmerizing way. I think its sounds evoke a rainbow, with rain falling while the sun shines. A very peaceful feeling. It allows you to make music that truly sounds like life." Indeed! Both the cd and vinyl beautifully packaged with incredible cover art, the lp pressed on nice thick vinyl, though unfortunately there's no download code.

MPEG stream: Binta Madiallo
MPEG stream: Bissau
MPEG stream: Ngoma Likembe
MPEG stream: Sanza Tristesse

After his deliriously beautiful and crushingly romantic last album Sea Change broke many a heart back in 2002, in what musical direction could the lad head next? We very well knew to expect something completely different from Mr. Eclectic, and that's certainly what we got. Indeed, Guero's the answer, and by all indications it's a return to the land of Odelay... but the ol' slacker town's been all sleeked up into a shiny urban center. When the album kicked things off with some mild nu-metal riffin' and Sir Beck bustin' out a slouchy almost EMF-ish vocal rap, we sorta went "uh oh!", but after that, things settle into that trademark Beck funkiness, but with lots of nifty sound processing effects applied throughout. Despite the album's overall hi-tech shininess, stuff like the hootin' and hollerin' of the second track "Que Onda Guero", as well as the occasional slackly loping acoustic guitar, harmonica and cheesy casio-style bleep-blop sounds keep things feelin' suitably casual and off the cuff. The album's pace is an unhurried groovy slow-to-mid-tempo... y'know, one that your dashboard noddin' head doggy can easily keep time to. And actually that's sorta the pace at which you might find Guero growing on you. Its songs are definitely not the kind that'll immediate bowl you over. Great for those lazy days when you've got nowhere to be anytime soon.

MPEG stream: Que Onda Guero
MPEG stream: Farewell Ride

With his most recent album Guero which recalled his early Odelay funky finery, Sir Beck certainly gave the remixers lots of easy-goin' groovy stuff to work with, and the results from the likes of Air, El-P among others do complement and compliment the originals quite well. Don't be expecting anything here to blow your mind though, it all pretty much sticks to Remixing 101, but much like its source album, its own pleasingly sun'n'weed-baked laidback shufflin' funkiness just might grow on you.

MPEG stream: Ghost Range (E-Pro)
MPEG stream: Que Onda Guero

Uh, hi. You've probably already made up your mind about Beck, and ain't gonna be swayed one way or the other. So please enjoy Jim's following track by track analysis. You may disagree, and that's okay! [1.] Soul-funk appropriations that feature an odd concoction of chemically imbalanced sex-talk between Prince and Marilyn Manson (if you think this is a cruel comparison, it's not. that's just what it sounds like). [2.] Really weird far-from-melodic orchestral meanderings not as good as The Beatles "Hey Jude" but in the same vein. [3.] In one ear and out the other. [4.] A Tom-Tom Club rip off of outerspace lite-electro-pop, with alot of white-boy-trying-to-be-black bass slapping. [5.] This is sorta what I thought Beck did... a glam rock reinvention of rap. [6.] Actual lyric from a song that sounds like Andy Gibb fronting the Latin Playboys: "We're on the good ship Menage a Trois" (!?!) [7.] Another Beatles reference, this time a really a super clunky revision of "Mr. Taxman." [8.] '80s cocaine club grooves with all sorts of spacey fx and a 'hip' '90s pastiche of turntablism and timestretching. [9.] Beck sounds like Courtney Love on a really bad heroin bender waking up next to Jimmy Buffet. [10.] ZZ-Top guitar-fuzz gated into the most driving song on the album (but that doesn't say much).[11.] Back to that Marilyn Manson / Prince fusion over horn soaked slow-jam funkiness. Is this supposed to be funny? Prognosis: Worst album I've heard since that Geri Halliwell record.

While Beck's last album, The Information wasn't all that bad, it sure didn't leave much of a lasting impression. Which broke a streak of very memorable and eclectic releases from the all-grown-up-now wonder-kid from LA. With Modern Guilt he's enlisted the services of Danger Mouse for production duties and has crafted a really solid West Coast pop record. We can't help but be reminded of Spoon, not only because of the cover art, but also some of the hooks and melodies in many of the songs are definite Spponisms. But ultimately this sounds like a really solid Beck record without any kitsch but with lots of catchy and earnest songs throughout. Very nice.

MPEG stream: Gamma Ray
MPEG stream: Replica

It's the new Beck album that isn't the new album (i.e. not the intended sequel to Odelay). With previously released stuff and some new songs. You have to wonder at the Os Mutantes references: the album's name is Mutations and the featured single is called Tropicalia?! Hmmm...

Mr. Beck is back with a brilliant record, in extremely large part due to producing team the Dust Bros (of Paul's Boutique fame). "Rap", folk, pop, & lots else besides.

For those of you who've worn your beloved copy of Odelay down to dust... and who have a few extra bucks in their pockets! Beck's arguably best album is the latest to grace the Universal Music deluxe reissue series. Hard to believe that Odelay was released almost a dozen years ago, but indeed it was! You can once again revel in the slacker glory of "The New Pollution", "Devil's Haircut", "Where It's At", and the other eleven album tracks. Yes, sooo good, but you don't have to stop there! On this double disc set you also get three bonus tracks, plus a second cd with three remixes (by Aphex Twin, U.N.K.L.E., and Mickey P) and a slew of b-sides!

MPEG stream: Where It's At
MPEG stream: )

Through all the genre's he's dabbled in, all the concepts he's fucked with, all the hits he's had, for many of us the story of Beck begins and ends with One Foot In The Grave. Recorded months before Mellow Gold, which ended up being released before it and turned Beck into a poster boy for the '90s alternative-nation, One Foot In The Grave is Beck's most stripped down, raw and impacting album. And a long time favorite of most folks around here. Recorded by Calvin Johnson at Dub Narcotic Studios and released on K, this record shared much more in common with the humble raw sounds of the underground then it did videos on MTV, glossy photos shoots and all that would follow. The whole world seemed focused on "Loser" and and all the bullshit that came with Beck's sudden ascent to superstar status, but this record was proof that beneath it all was an amazing songwriter and a fantastic singer. While a stripped down lo-fi folksy/bluesy record sounds like such an ordinary thing now, back in the early '90s there really wasn't much of this going on. This was a decade before indie-folk would blow up big, it was the same year that Elliott Smith released his first solo album, the beginnings of a new burst of indie minded souls making folk music in a truly unique way. One Foot In The Grave was one of those records that kicked our asses, a record we could totally connect to, a record that we listened to ENDLESSLY. There weren't many singer songwriters around at the time who seemed to bring real grit to their sound, or who had any sort of unique perspective. Beck then was someone who you could tell loved Sonic Youth, Beat Happening and Neil Young, and was just sort of making real heartfelt songs, songs that sounded like they were being performed around a campfire, just us and beck, making s'mores, telling ghost stories and singing songs. Rustic and haunting, simple and strong, One Foot In The Grave still sounds so great after all these years, and still manages to be the best sounding Beck record, even considering everything that came after!! This reissue comes with sixteen bonus tracks (thirteen of which have never been released!)

MPEG stream: He's A Mighty Good Leader
MPEG stream: I Get Lonesome
MPEG stream: Teenage Wastebasket

It appears Master Beck has set his galactic funk'n'soul genre-hopping eccentricities aside, following up 1999's heavily soul-influenced Midnite Vultures with an album of mature introspection of the likes that he hasn't approached since One Foot In The Grave. Heart-baring and lushly composed, Sea Change brings his exceptional songwriting skills back to the fore - unencumbered by the glitz and kitsch of past releases. Perhaps his most focused work to date, everything (mood, style, words and instrumentation) comes together beautifully within each song. Together, the twelve songs make for a deeply moving, orchestral pop/folk album. While Beck has not dropped his pastiche approach to songwriting, the apparent intentions and end result are not *ironic* sounding like many of his recent efforts. Which is all the more strange considering that the lode he's mining from here is the soft rock / folk stylings of such greats as Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot and Dan Fogelberg as well as heavyweights Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake -- to whom Beck might even have given posthumous writing or arranging credits to for his song "Round The Bend". Fans of Badly Drawn Boy might also take note. This is a mighty fine Beck album.

RealAudio clip: Guess I'm Doing Fine
RealAudio clip: Lonesome Tears
RealAudio clip: Lost Cause

Beck might be trying a bunch of new things in terms of presentation and packaging (for one thing the cover is a blank grid on which you can arrange the provided very Vice Magazine looking stickers), but it sure feels like he's retreading a lot of old terrain musically. Some songs sound like total rehashings of his 'hits' from Odelay and Sea Change. Actually two lyrics keep taking turns popping into our collective aQ head when we listen to this album. They are Steve Miller's "time keeps on slippin'... slippin'... slippin' into the fyooochaaa" from back in the '70s and Beck's own "I got two turntables and a microphone" from "Where It's At" (on his Odelay album). That said, all in all though this *is* a solid Beck album. It just didn't register the "Holy shit, this is groundbreaking stuff!" reaction that all the pre-release press made it out to be. It's just good ol' Beck recrafted and redesigned with fresh cool sounds and stickers too!

MPEG stream: Cellphone's Dead
MPEG stream: The Information

New Deluxe box version of Beck's latest outing with an extra disc of remixes from Ellen Allien, Ricardo Villalobos, and Jamie Lidell among others and a DVD with even more videos on it then before, plus a lyric book, a blank book (for your thoughts?) and complete set of stickers! Here's what we said before: Beck might be trying a bunch of new things in terms of presentation and packaging (for one thing the cover is a blank grid on which you can arrange the provided very Vice Magazine looking stickers), but it sure feels like he's retreading a lot of old terrain musically. Some songs sound like total rehashings of his 'hits' from Odelay and Sea Change. Actually two lyrics keep taking turns popping into our collective aQ head when we listen to this album. They are Steve Miller's "time keeps on slippin'... slippin'... slippin' into the fyooochaaa" from back in the '70s and Beck's own "I got two turntables and a microphone" from "Where It's At" (on his Odelay album). That said, all in all though this *is* a solid Beck album. It just didn't register the "Holy shit, this is groundbreaking stuff!" reaction that all the pre-release press made it out to be. It's just good ol' Beck recrafted and redesigned with fresh cool sounds and stickers too!

MPEG stream: Cellphone's Dead
MPEG stream: The Information

[ aquarius records catalogue — B ]