VERDI : Requiem (Elīna Garanča · Daniel Barenboim ... ) 2CD (2013) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The early 2010s have seen a profusion of good performances and recordings of Verdi's Requiem mass. This may be because the work offers operatic singers and conductors a chance to strut their stuff in a one-shot deal, without the expense of mounting an entire operatic production. Whatever the explanation, the situation is a boon for listeners, and the present album takes its place among the very best. The Requiem is the towering work of sacred music in the late 19th century, full of social resonances that are explored in the booklet of this release with conductor Daniel Barenboim leading the Orchestra and Chorus of the La Scala Theatre. The soloists range from excellent to spectacular, with the liquid phrasing of tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the Ingemisco (CD 1, track 8) and the smoky tone of mezzo soprano Elina Garanca throughout as special standouts. But it is the masterly choral work from Barenboim, the La Scala choristers, and chorus master Bruno Casoni that really sets this recording apart. Listen to the mighty Dies irae, with the orchestra brasses slashing through the texture in perfectly executed fanfares of doom, where Barenboim gets the choir to deliver perfectly controlled little shouts at the phrase ends. It's nothing short of thrilling, and that's the word for this release throughout. The sound, with the choir and musicians on their home ground at La Scala, is equally exciting. James Manheim
Tracklist 1 :
Messa Da Requiem    
1-2    I Requiem
3-12        II Sequenza
Tracklist 2 :
1-4    III Offertorio
5    VI Communio
6-9    VII Libera Me
Credits :
Bass Vocals – René Pape
Chorus Master – Bruno Casoni
Composed By – Giuseppe Verdi
Conductor – Daniel Barenboim
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Elīna Garanča
Music Director – Piero Maranghi
Orchestra – Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala
Soprano Vocals – Anja Harteros
Tenor Vocals – Jonas Kaufmann

SYD BARRETT — The Madcap Laughs (1970-2015) SHM-CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Wisely, The Madcap Laughs doesn't even try to sound like a consistent record. Half the album was recorded by Barrett's former bandmates Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour, and the other half by Harvest Records head Malcolm Jones. Surprisingly, Jones' tracks are song for song much stronger than the more-lauded Floyd entries. The opening "Terrapin" seems to go on three times as long as its five-minute length, creating a hypnotic effect through Barrett's simple, repetitive guitar figure and stream of consciousness lyrics. The much bouncier "Love You" sounds like a sunny little Carnaby Street pop song along the lines of an early Move single, complete with music hall piano, until the listener tries to parse the lyrics and realizes that they make no sense at all. The downright Kinksy "Here I Go" is in the same style, although it's both more lyrically direct and musically freaky, speeding up and slowing down seemingly at random. Like many of the "band" tracks, "Here I Go" is a Barrett solo performance with overdubs by Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, and Robert Wyatt of the Soft Machine; the combination doesn't always particularly work, as the Softs' jazzy, improvisational style is hemmed in by having to follow Barrett's predetermined lead, so on several tracks, like "No Good Trying," they content themselves with simply making weird noises in the background. The solo tracks are what made the album's reputation, though, particularly the horrifying "Dark Globe," a first-person portrait of schizophrenia that's seemingly the most self-aware song this normally whimsical songwriter ever created. Honestly, however, the other solo tracks are the album's weakest tracks, with the exception of the plain gorgeous "Golden Hair," a musical setting of a James Joyce poem that's simply spellbinding. The album falls apart with the appalling "Feel." Frankly, the inclusion of false starts and studio chatter, not to mention some simply horrible off-key singing by Barrett, makes this already marginal track feel disgustingly exploitative. But for that misstep, however, The Madcap Laughs is a surprisingly effective record that holds up better than its "ooh, lookit the scary crazy person" reputation suggests. Stewart Mason
Tracklist :
1    Terrapin    5:04
2    No Good Trying    3:26
3    Love You    2:30
4    No Man's Land    3:03
5    Dark Globe    2:02
6    Here I Go    3:12
7    Octopus    3:48
8    Golden Hair 2:00
Lyrics By – James Joyce
Music By – Syd Barrett
9    Long Gone    2:50
10    She Took A Long Cool Look    1:56
11    Feel    2:17
12    If It's In You    2:26
13    Late Night    3:11
– BONUS TRACKS –  Remastered Edition (1993)    
14    Octopus (Takes 1 & 2)    3:09
15    No Good Trying (Take 5)    6:23
16    Love You (Take 1)    2:28
17    Love You (Take 3)    2:12
18    She Took A Long Cool Look (Take 4)    2:44
19    Golden Hair (Take 5) 2:33
Lyrics By – James Joyce
Music By – Syd Barrett
– BONUS TRACKS –  Japanese Papersleeve Edition (2015)    
20        Rhamadam    20:10
Credits :
Written-By – Syd Barrett (tracks: 1 to 7, 9 to 18)

NEUSCHWANSTEIN — Battlement (1979-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In progressive rock's glory days English and Italian, even American groups, garnered international attention for their contributions to the genre. Meanwhile, continental Europe boasted a number of fine bands, a very few well known, many who labored without the world's eye, and some who did not even make their mark on the scene until the very late 70s and into the early 1980s.

Neuschwanstein was such a band, the embryonic form of the band originally making their mark in a musical competition in Saarbrucken, Germany. The band won the competition with a progressive rock adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland in 1974. That same year Neuschwanstein took on two guitarist/singers from the French band Lykorn, and with that addition, the band that would record Battlement was in place. From 1974 to 1978 the band would make a name for themselves in the Saarland region of Germany and France, opening many shows for the likes of Novalis and Lucifer's Friend. By 1978 the band booked themselves into Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks studio, one of the finest in Germany. With the help of Scorpions drummer Hermann Rarebell, who played drums for the band on the track "Loafer Jack," the band recorded the material that would be released on Battlement. It was released in 1979 and sold a respectable 6000 copies, quite an accomplishment for an unsigned band on an independent label before the heyday of the internet.

Re-released on Musea in 1992, Battlement is a beautiful, lush work, and one of the best produced and sounding independently recorded releases I have heard in some time. The musicianship displayed on Battlement is absolutely top notch and vocalist/acoustic guitarist Frederic Joos will have many listeners swearing that Peter Gabriel himself provided the lead vocals for Neuschwanstien. The band's material is all stunning and well polished, reminiscent of Genesis during the time of Trick Of The Tail and Wind And Wuthering. Their music is well conceived and very well executed, with rich and melodious keyboards and guitar, beautiful flute breaks and very, very finely delivered vocals.

Every track on this re-issue is of good quality and a couple are almost good enough to qualify as what I call could call "masterpieces." "Intruders And The Punishment" is the highpoint of the album for me, with odd meter, rippling keyboards and lyrics that will perhaps remind the listener of the ordeals of Odysseus. Another wonderful moment is the track "Battlement," an almost unsettling number that features great vocals by bassist Rainer Zimmer. The final song on Battlement, "Zartlicher Abschied" is the only holdover from the band's original 1974 adaptation of Alice In Wonderand. It is a lovely instrumental track that lifts a well known theme from Genesis, and is, by the way, the only direct appropriation from the Charterhouse legends.
Tracklist :
1. Loafer Jack (4:42)
2. Ice with Dwale (6:21)
3. Intruders and the Punishment (7:34)
4. Beyond the Bugle (7:31)
5. Battlement (7:05)
6. Midsummer day (7:42)
7. Zärtlicher Abschied (5:42)
 Line-up / Musicians
— Frederic Joos / Guitar
— Uli Limpert / Bass
— Klaus Mayer / Flute, Synthesizers
— Thomas Neuroth / Keyboards
— Hans-Peter Schwarz / Drums
— Roger Weiler / Guitar
— Reiner Zimmer / Bass, Vocal

BABA YAGA — Collage (1974) Vinyl LP | FLAC (tracks), lossless

 “Baba Yaga” released 2 albums in 1974 which are both completely different in style but both very strong musically. The band was a project formed by Ingo Werner who is a former member of “My Solid Ground” who released IMO one of the best Krautrock albums ever released.
Tracklist :
A    Moksha    18:32
B    Wadi    20:18
Credits :
Santur, Sitar, Tabla [Tablas], Congas, Cymbal [Cymbales], Gong [Gongs], Timpani [Kettledrums], Drums, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Nemat Darman
Synthesizer [EMS-synthesizer, Davoli-synthesizer, Solina String-ensemble], Clavinet, Electric Piano [Fenderpiano], Grand Piano – Ingo Werner
Cover [Cover Painting By], Painting [Cover Painting By] – Otmar Hörl

TIBET — Tibet (1978-2013) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Diamond in the rough, lost gem, obscure record, oddity or criminally underrated; pick one you like it all means the same.

Tibet kicks ass with a high level of musicianship, quirky melodies and a really weird (but likeable) art cover. To be frank, once again it's the cover that brought me to that record. And the cover is telling you pretty accurately what you can expect: fantasy. Is it me or the Egyptian art is perfectly fit for progressive rock? K2 and Ash Ra Tempel find it too I heard.

If you find this record, pick it now. You'll get your money's worth. It's easy to get into and to hum later. The mood is well set for smoke machines (or other instruments) and trippy lights. The vocals are not the strongest part, but many bands like Ramses have the same problem without ruining the mood.The singer has a RPI tremolo, even in english, weird as it seems. On the very plus side, you have a ton load of good keyboard (Peter Bardens style), guitar and bass (a la Eloy). I can easily spot Pink Floyd and Camel here and there, but the Eloy factor is tangible even more. Good news!! progarchives.com
Tracklist :
 1. Fight Back (4:59)
2. City By The Sea (4:24)
3. White Ships And Icebergs (6:15)
4. Seaside Evening (4:13)
5. Take What's Yours (7:23)
6. Eagles (6:05)
7. No More Time (5:30)
Line-up / Musicians
- Kalus Werthmann / Lead Vocals
- Jürgen Grutzsch / Guitar, Percussion
- Deff Ballin / Keyboards, Percussion
- Dieter Kumpakischkis / Keyboards
- Karl Heinz Hamann / Bass, Percussion
- Fred Teske / Drums