Stoner Rock LP Review: Legends Of The Desert- 12" (Azure Blue Vinyl lim. 200)

Genre: Stoner Rock

Release Date: May 11, 2018

Label: H42 Records

Website

Legends Of The Desert- 12" is classic stoner rock captured on limited edition azure blue vinyl and various other colors.  The vinyl is beautiful and if your favorite color happens to be blue your eyes will be smiling.  The colorful art work of the LP cover is eye-catching as well. Maybe that may not be a relevant aspect of music for some people however I look at the entire package and enjoy it to the fullest.

This music is in relation to the Desert Fest. And it is music that matches my taste buds just fine. In addition to being a collector of vinyl, especially limited-edition colored vinyl, I do like to actually play the music and enjoy it rather than putting it away to keep it all minty fresh with hopes of cashing in on some poor sap that just has to have the LP.

The artist featured on this platter are as follows:

Fatso Jetson, Yawning Sons, Waterways and a solo project under the direction of Mario Lalli & Mathias Schneeberger.

This is great instrumental rock music, with the exception of the opening track, “Semi Lost” by Fatso Jetson, that has some good vocals. Why wouldn’t anyone want to listen to a band with a name like that? If even just out of curiosity! Well, they are good even though they have a decidedly different albeit funny name.

A lot of this music is very twangy with effects, just a bit similar to surf music in my estimation, but a lot heavier (not heavy as metal) and a lot more complex of course. This is just cool stuff that doesn’t last nearly long enough! That is a compliment, not a take away.

The B side offers up two brilliant instrumental jams that will leave an impression on you and I bet you will be seeking out more from these bands once you hear these tracks.  I know I am very interested in exploring more and if you are a fan of stoner rock this is a must-have.

For those of you interested, I checked out the Bandcamp page where this is listed and it said there are only 5 copies left! You can get it for $18 plus shipping from there or pay double that on Amazon. Just a helpful hint if you want to grab a copy.

For Initial Distribution of The Product-Check the label website for current stock.

Azur Blue Vinyl (lim. 200)

Clear Yellow Vinyl (lim. 150)

Black Vinyl (lim. 30)

Black Vinyl/White label incl. CD & Tape (Lim. 21)

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

October 21, 2018

Founder of:

MuzikMan Productions

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Side A:

Semi Lost (Fatso Jetson)

Three Rivers (Waterways)

Side B:

Out In The Streets (Instrumental No 1) (Yawning Sons)

Spector (Mario Lalli & Mathias Schneeberger

Metal/Hard Rock LP Review: Mount Atlas-Self-Titled (Ltd. Edition Red Vinyl-50 Copies)

Release Date: June 27, 2018

Label: H42 Records

Website

Mount Atlas hails from Germany which is the home of their label H42 Records. This is their debut and is it ever a good one!

I was fortunate to receive 1 of 50 copies of this self-titled red vinyl. This is some bone-crunching hard rock, metal, stoner rock that will get the blood pumping. Check out the colorful artwork on the cover, very cool. That element gives the package an artistic flair that some releases just don’t have. I really appreciate it.

Right from the start of side A, this band comes at you loud and proud with the petal to the metal on “Titan.” This curtain opener sets the tone of what you are in store for until the record stops spinning.

The cool thing about the H42 Records label is that they offer several different configurations of the release and an opportunity to pre-order product (which has come and gone). All kinds of colors are offered up which includes the following:

Red Vinyl Edition (lim. 50 copies)

White Vinyl Edition (lim. 50 copies)

Green Vinyl Edition (lim. 100 copies)

Black Vinyl Edition

Die Hard White Cover Art Edition with white label vinyl + CD (lim. 20 copies)

This is what you can expect on regular basis with releases so each unit is an instant collector’s item.  All of this is just the icing on the cake for a solid debut album. Mount Atlas can rock and their lead singer Hendrik Kurre has the right vocal style to complete their sound. His hard-edged pipes have a timbre that suits each track just fine. These are skilled musicians with really good chops that will continue to develop with the passing of time, I have no doubt.

Also included is a live bonus track titled “Burn, Witches!” This is a nice addition to get a glimpse of what the band can sound like in a live setting.

There are a few instances where they bring out a softer side showing how they can switch it up when they choose. I expect great things in the future from Mount Atlas and once you hear this killer debut I am sure you will agree.

I look forward to a great partnership with the label and to bring you all more of these musical treats.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

June 27, 2018

Founder of:

MuzikMan Productions

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Tracks:
 
Side A:
Titan
Go For A Ride
Down
Atlas
Through The Fire

Side B:
The Hunter
Loss
Bonus Track:
Burn, Witches!-Live In Rottenburg

Rock-Pop Review: The Beatles- Revolver Mono 180 Gram LP

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Label: Capitol/Parlophone

Website

Now we have The Beatles in Mono and the icing on the cake for music fans is that it is on 180m gram vinyl with replicated artwork and newly mastered from the analogue master tapes. This is what the band sounded like to most listeners who heard the group for the first time in the 60s. This is how they were meant to sound and the band acknowledged mono as their primary choice even though the tracks were mixed in stereo as well. 

For fans beyond the 60s this may be the first opportunity to hear the music in this format. The mono CD box set has been available since 2009 and now the LP version is ready. You can buy all 14 albums in a box set format (listed on Amazon currently at $374.99) or separately ($26.95 on Amazon currently or $22.98 direct from the band's site). So you either hand pick the releases you want or you buy the entire set and save a paltry 3 bucks. I think most folks would prefer to buy them all piece meal to complete the set.

If you are a true Beatles fan you just love all their music and either format is appreciated in equal measure. Although some fans have very strong opinions and preferences, I am not one of those. 

Revolver (1966) was a breakthrough in change and overall sound that started with Rubber Soul. The problem for this listener is what tracks to choose as my key tracks. Every song is an adventure from my viewpoint. What was different about Revolver is the experimentation that began that would of course then go to the next level with their follow up Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

I feel the most prolific tracks that had the most impact at the time of the release of this recording were “Taxman,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Got To Get You Into My Life.” All of them were hit singles but what Beatles track wasn’t? I do remember my siblings spinning the records and hearing the music on the radio and to this day I still love it. There are very few bands from the 60s that I still hold in such high esteem as The Beatles. Revolver is one of my favorite albums.

The meticulous care that went into this process is admirable and the end results are vinyl LPs that are beautifully represented with outstanding sound. The warmth and clarity of each song is a bit of a revelation for the over indulgent listeners immersed in the digital space. This kind of process is happening more often with other recording artists. Like the saying goes, history repeats itself and we end up going back to where we started. In this case from a musical standpoint, that is a good thing! I enjoyed the remastered CDs in stereo when they came out in 2009 and now I can appreciate this music in a different way listening to this vinyl. That is the beauty of having all of these formats at our disposal. The choice is yours, The Beatles in stereo or mono. Any way you look at it you win. Collectors will adore this new version and certainly will have no problem taking out their wallets one more time for these quality LPs.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, Got To Get You Into My Life

Side One:
01. Taxman
02. Eleanor Rigby
03. I'm Only Sleeping
04. Love You To/Here, There And Everywhere
05. Yellow Submarine
06. She Said She Said
 

Side Two:

07. Good Day Sunshine
08. And Your Bird Can Sing
09. For No One
10. Doctor Robert
11. I Want To Tell You
12. Got To Get You Into My Life
13. Tomorrow Never Knows

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Write A Music Review Founder

October 7, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music