October 22, 2010 Playlist

Best of the
Classic Albums of the Week  
VI: Kosmik Rock of the late 60's & early 70's (mostly)
for Pledge Drive!

 
"Pawn Hearts" by Van der Graaf Generator (1971)
(NEW) CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Van der Graaf Generator  "Pawn Hearts"  1971 (UK)
It's pledge drive this week, so time for another edition of The Best of the CAOTW.  The new Classic Album this week must therefore be an extra special one, so here's the most acclaimed album by the greatest of the British progressive rock bands.  Never as well known as their peers like Yes, Genesis and Jethro Tull, VDGG were one of the most uncompromising and creative groups of their day.  Like The Doors, they rarely used a bass guitar, but did that group one better by also replacing the electric guitarist with an electric saxophone player (David "Jaxon", who usually plays two saxes at once in fact.)  But the driving force behind the group has always been histrionic singer-songwriter Peter Hammill.  Though his name is not very well known, he may be one of the most influential vocalists of his time -- his dramatic and "unapologetically British" delivery inspired the likes of David Bowie and Johnny Rotten, while his melodic screams prefigure metal legends like Rob Halford, Ronnie Dio and Bruce Dickinson.
VDGG made a few cool video appearances in their day, including a 20-minute film of the epic that takes up all of side 2 of this album:  "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers" (this clip is just the first part of the song.)  And here is the band on French TV around the same time, playing one of their most popular songs "Killer" (a meditation on life and love from the point of view of a shark!)
Among the many other Classic Albums featured on the show this week are "Timeless" by the great underground Hollywood glam-space-punk band Zolar X, and the self-titled debut of the super-talented but nearly forgotten hard-prog supergroup Captain Beyond (featuring the original singer from Deep Purple with two guys from Iron Butterfly and Johnny Winter's drummer.)
 
(R) = Listener Request
Artist Song Album Year Country
Isaac Hayes Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic Hot Buttered Soul
CLASSIC ALBUM - Feb 15, 2006		 1969 USA
Rufus Thomas Funkiest Man Alive Crown Prince Of Dance
CLASSIC ALBUM - Jul 16, 2008		 1973 USA
 
 
Pink Fairies Uncle Harry's Last Freak Out Never Never Land
CLASSIC ALBUM - Feb 7, 2007		 1971 UK
Speed Glue & Shinki Ode To The Bad People Eve
CLASSIC ALBUM - Dec 5, 2007		 1971 Japan/
Phillipines
Killdozer (R) Good Lovin' Gone Bad (Bad Company) For Ladies Only
CLASSIC ALBUM - Jun 20, 2007		 1989 USA
   
 
Captain Beyond I Can't Feel Nothin' (part 1)
 --> As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves Of The Sea)
 --> Astral Lady
 --> As The Moon Speaks (Return)
 --> I Can't Feel Nothin' (part 2)		 Captain Beyond
CLASSIC ALBUM - Oct 25, 2006		 1972 USA
Eric Burdon & The Animals River Deep Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner) Love Is
CLASSIC ALBUM - April 5, 2006		 1968 UK
   
 
Van der Graaf Generator Lemmings (Including COG) Pawn Hearts
(NEW) CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1971 UK
Van der Graaf Generator Lost H To He, Who Am The Only One
CLASSIC ALBUM - Nov 8, 2006		 1970 UK
   
 
Hawkwind Master Of The Universe
   / We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago		 In Search Of Space
CLASSIC ALBUM - Jun 6, 2007		 1971 UK
Zolar X Parallel Galaxy Timeless
CLASSIC ALBUM - Sep 20, 2006		 rec. 1980 USA
Sun Ra Rocket Number Nine Space Is The Place
CLASSIC ALBUM - May 30, 2007		 1972 USA
 
  
The Stark Reality Rocket Ship (Hoagy Carmichael) The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop
CLASSIC ALBUM - May 9, 2007		 1970 USA
Television Marquee Moon Marquee Moon
CLASSIC ALBUM - Dec 20, 2006		 1977 USA
Todd Rundgren When The Shit Hits The Fan (Sunset Blvd.)
   / La Feel Internacionale		 A Wizard, A True Star
CLASSIC ALBUM - Sep 30, 2008		 1973 USA
 
  
Love The Daily Planet Forever Changes
CLASSIC ALBUM - Apr 26, 2006		 1967 USA
Spirit Fresh Garbage Spirit
CLASSIC ALBUM - Mar 19, 2008		 1968 USA
The Rolling Stones Citadel Their Satanic Majesties Request
CLASSIC ALBUM - Feb 28, 2007		 1967 UK
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Carte Blanche Vol. 2: Breaking Through
CLASSIC ALBUM - May 29, 2009		 1967 UK
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Autumn's Child Safe As Milk
CLASSIC ALBUM - Jan 15, 2010		 1967 USA
 
  
Neil Young & Crazy Horse The Losing End (When You're On) Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
CLASSIC ALBUM - Apr 19, 2006		 1969 Canada/USA
          
   
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