ARGENT - Ring of Hands (1970-1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ring of Hands is, more often than not, overshadowed by the albums that surrounded it. Argent's debut included Russ Ballard's "Liar," and 1972's All Together Now was the album that yielded their Top Five hit "Hold Your Head Up," while 1973's In Deep produced "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You," which became a bigger hit for Kiss in 1992. But Ring of Hands is one of Argent's most progressively oriented albums, with most of its energy and dynamics coming from Rod Argent's keyboard playing. This album shines the spotlight a little brighter on Rod Argent than on Ballard, and its weight lies more on the band's ability to produce some impressive progressive rock than to create lyrically based rock & roll. Argent himself is spectacular throughout most of the album, lending his lone, rich keyboard solos to tracks like "Lothlorien," "Cast Your Spell Uranus," and "Sleep Won't Help Me." The album does wander into pop familiarity from time to time, but only mildly, like on "Chained" or "Where Are We Going Wrong," and, even so, Rod Argent's playing appropriately protrudes through most of songs to give Ring of Hands an independent feel from all of the albums that followed. In 1999, Sony's Collectables reissued the album with a bonus track; Rod Argent's "He's a Dynamo," which was written one year after the release of the original Ring of Hands album. Mike DeGagne 
Tracklist  :
1 Celebration 2:55
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
2 Sweet Mary 4:08
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
3 Cast Your Spell Uranus 4:32
Written-By – Russ Ballard
4 Lothlorien 7:52
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
5 Chained 5:20
Written-By – Russ Ballard
6 Rejoice 3:47
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
7 Pleasure 4:53
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
8 Sleep Won't Help Me 5:12
Written-By – Chris White, Rod Argent
9 Where Are We Going Wrong 4:11
Written-By – Russ Ballard
– BONUS TRACKS –
10 He's A Dynamo 3:47
Written-By – Rod Argent
Credits
Bass – Jim Rodford
Drums – Robert Henrit
Electric Piano – Rod Argent
Guitar – Jim Rodford, Russ Ballard
Organ – Rod Argent
Piano – Rod Argent, Russ Ballard (tracks: 3)
Vocals – Jim Rodford, Rod Argent, Russ Ballard

ARGENT – Argent (1969-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With hindsight, it seems as if the Zombies didn't so much come to a halt as split off into two different directions. Colin Blunstone would take the band's poppiest, sweetest elements; Argent would take the gutsier ones, and appropriate the intricate keyboard arrangements (naturally enough, as keyboardist Rod Argent was the leader of both Argent and the Zombies). Neither Blunstone nor Argent would approach the majesty of the Zombies' prime, but they'd offer some pretty fair approximations. And that's what you get on Argent's self-titled debut -- a fair approximation of late-period Zombies, with a much heavier hard/progressive rock feel. There's nothing that's nearly as arresting as Odessey and Oracle, but it's not bad at all. Includes Russ Ballard's "Liar,"  Richie Unterberger

Tracklist :
1 Like Honey 3:15
2 Liar 3:15
3 Bee Free 3:52
4 Schoolgirl 3:22
5 Dance In The Smoke 6:17
6 Lonely Hard Road 4:23
7 The Feeling's Inside 3:51
8 Freefall 3:19
9 Stepping Stone 4:40
10 Bring You Joy 4:12
Credits :
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Jim Rodford
Drums, Percussion – Robert Henrit
Guitar, Piano, Vocals – Russ Ballard
Producer, Organ, Piano, Piano [Pianette], Vocals, Liner Notes – Rod Argent