March 12, 2008 Playlist

"On The Wings" by Socrates Drank The Conium (1973)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Socrates Drank The Conium  "On The Wings"  1973 (Greece)
The theme for this month is "global psych", especially from the non-English speaking world.  So this week, here's one of the kewlest guitar albums you've probably never heard of before.  Socrates Drank The Conium was sort of like Athens' version of Cream in the late 60's, a power trio featuring the impressive chops of lead guitarist Yannis Spathas and singing bassist Antonis Tourkoyorigs.  Their first two records are fairly typical of "provincial" heavy bands of the psychedelic era (they do lots of covers and obligatory blues numbers) -- though in the context of Greece's military dictatorship of the time, they were almost revolutionary -- Rolling Stones records had even been outlawed!)  But it was when they added second guitarist Gus Doukakis for their third album that they produced their one truly stellar "unsung" hard rock album.  The intertwining dual lead guitars are wonderfully unique -- like if the Allman Brothers grew up playing bouzoukis on the shores of the Aegean, then moved to Detroit and fell in love with the MC5!!!
Founders Spathas and Tourkoyorgis gigged together as Socrates in 2006, and there's an entire concert up on YouTube!  Here's their recent version of "Starvation", a heavy classic from the first SDTC album.  Plus here's a video of another great Greek band, Aphrodite's Child (featuring Vangelis on keyboards and Demis Roussos on vocals) playing "It's 5 O'Clock", a Europe-wide smash in late 1969.  Finally, here's a clip of the legendary multi-instrumentalist Vangelis himself, hard at work on a tune that doesn't suck too much!  (Just kiddin' Van!)
 
(N) = New Release
   

Artist Song Album Year (Label) Country
Gedo Track 1 (title in Japanese) Best Gedo (CD compilation) rec. 1974 Japan
Aguaturbia EVOL Volumen 2 1970 Chile
Shocking Blue Love Buzz At Home 1969 Netherlands
Magma Kobaia Iss De Hundin Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh 1973 France
Socrates Drank The Conium Breakdown On The Wings
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1973 Greece
 
 
Socrates Drank The Conium Who Is To Blame On The Wings
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1973 Greece
Socrates Drank The Conium (with Vangelis) Mountains Phos 1976 Greece
Vangelis The Dragon The Dragon 1971 Greece
   
 
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Dragonfly Pie Real Emotional Trash (N) 2008 (Matador) USA
The Gomers Things Fall Apart Mike Zirkel The Album (N) 2008 (Beeftone) USA
Dead Meadow Ain't Got Nothing (To Go Wrong) Old Growth (N) 2008 (Matador) USA
Black Mountain Wucan In The Future (N)
2008 (Jagjaguwar) Canada
The Dragons Cosmosis BFI (N - previously unreleased recordings) rec. 1970, rel. 2007 (Ninja Tune) USA
 
 
The Mars Volta
Ouroborous The Bedlam In Goliath (N) 2008 (Universal) USA
Beatallica
Ktulu (He's So Heavy) Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band (N) 2007 (Oglio) USA
The Evaporators Cripsy Space Bacon Gassy Jack And Other Tales (N) 2007 (Mint/Nardwuar) Canada
The Big Sleep
Sleep Forever Sleep Forever (N) 2008 (French Kiss) USA
Condor Moments
Lord Protector, Milk Collector And Though We're Told We've Got It All, The All We've Got Is Freezing Cold (N) 2007 (What Delicate) UK
 
  
Ananda Shankar Metamorphosis Ananda Shankar 1970 India
Ramsey Kearny A Blind Man's Penis Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood And Brush (song poem anthology CD) 1976? USA
Magical Power Mako Jump Yo You Jump 1977 Japan
The Cosmic Jokers Raumschiff Galaxy Saust in die Lichtbahnen / Der Planet des Sternmaedchens Planetary Sit-In 1974 Germany
   
  
Sand
(Produced by Klaus Schulze and recorded in Kunstkopf Stereophonie or "Artifical Head Stereo Sound")
Helicopter Golem 1974 Germany
Code III
(Produced by Klaus Schulze and recorded in Kunstkopf Stereophonie or "Artifical Head Stereo Sound")
Formations / The Genesis Planet Of Man 1974 Germany
      
Beware of Dragons!
   
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