Le Orme - Ad Gloriam

Le Orme - Ad gloriam



One always finds that no matter how many records you collect or listen to over the years that some never venture far fom your record player, they become etched into some part of your psyche. These albums are boxed and wrapped up in brown tape by little electonic beings that hold no physical form, they are loaded into some sort of transportation device and shipped off for storage in the great vaults of your mind ready to be recalled when ever needed. You never grow bored of these albums, you dont have to be 'in the mood' to listen to them, on the contrary they inflict their mood upon you.

Le Orme's debut album entitled Ad Gloriam, released in 1969 is one such album for me: I cannot listen to this wonderfully trippy psychedelic sunshine pop Lp without beaming from ear to ear and being transported to a world where the sun always shines, birds sing loud from the trees and Great uncle Bulgaria lives underneath my garden of wild flowers, herbs and fruits.Every morning old Uncle Bulgaria and myself lay around in the sun, drinking his home brewed wine, smoking special herbs and discussing the great topics of the day. Occasionally we will pop Ad Gloriam on to the record player and think that... 'life is not so bad'


Yes the lyrics are all in Italian so we (as in my eldery Wombly friend and I) have no idea what they are about but that hardly matters as the vocals and harmonies on the album's title track (and throughout the rest of the album in fact) are simply beautiful. Ad Gloriam is laced with; trippy guitar work, hammond organ, flute, piano, harpsicord, strings and percussion from start to finish and hops around somewhere near the centre of a crystal clear pond filled with ethereal instrumentals, moody psych and soaring sunshine pop.


I know this album may not be considered by some to be as good as some of their more 'Progressive' material that they released as a three piece band in the early 70's but I really dont care, I think this album is beautiful, it makes me smile a lot, the instrumentation and vocals are brilliant in every song. Go out and track down a copy for yourself, take it into the garden and give Uncle Bulgaria a knock; he will answer the door with a great big smile, a bottle of the good stuff and a bag of strong smelling herbs, put the record on, lie on the grass, chat rubbish and let the day drift away.

Ad Gloriam



Fumo
 

 
I Miei Sogni
 

Septembers Strange Unearthly Creatures Podcast

Strange Unearthly Creatures September 2010 by Jonny_Bordello on Mixcloud

Electric Holyland Compilation

Electric Holyland

For my first ever review I thought where better to start than my most recent acquisition. From the moment this little beauty dropped through my letterbox (or rather was handed to me by Mr Postman) I felt more eager than usual to get it open and on to the record player.  I'm not sure whether this was because of the extremely beautiful cover art, the sheer bizarreness of content etched on to this shiny black piece of wax, the concept of it all, or the hype that my own imagination had built up around it.  Let's just say I had a feeling that this was going to be good.

Let me put it to you like this: Have you ever been walking down the street, searching through you particular favourite brand of mp3 player for something, but not finding anything that is quite right? "What I really fancy" you think "is a dose of drum heavy, fuzzed out, psychedelic, god rock" - Well have you?  I certainly have not, I did not even consider for a moment that such a thing would even exist!  But it does and even better than that, some kind soul has waded (chest deep no doubt) through the vast pile of shite that I'm sure must reside in the realm of Christian Rock to bring you the most drum heavy, fuzz drenched, obscure  heaviest and most bizarrely wonderful Jesus rock gems from the 60's and 70's.

What on earth (or in the heavens above for that matter) made these freaky Jesus loving flower power evangelists break away from the more traditional formula of chrisian music and push the boundaries so far out in to the stratosphere I do not know, but one thing I can tell you is that I'm glad that they did! No doubt recorded in small studios and privately pressed in limited numbers the LPs in their original form are certainly obscure, rare and collectable, and the very nature of their content has left them overlooked by music lovers and record collectors alike. But no more! As Electric Holyland has just thundered in to town carrying a giant payload of Blues, Soul, Psychedelics, Acid Folk and Gospel.

However if you what you have read so far has tickled your fancy. If right at this moment your feet are itching to boogie on down to some of this obscure brand of breakbeat, psychedelic, genre bending, Halleluja soul rock then you had better be quick because this cracking compilation has been pressed in almost as limited numbers as the original LP's from which it draws its very essence. Only 500! Yes 500 have been pressed and all have been hand numbered.

Mine is number 297. Will you be able to find one?

Praise be brothers, praise be!!

Tracklist

The New Folk - Love comes down

Barrie Hobbie, Johanna Black & Sweet Destiny - Get Down On Your Knees

First Revelation - Where Could I Go

Wild Olive Branch Band -  High Times, Low Times

Earthen Vessel - Ive Been Walkin'

Shekina Glory - Ask

The Jesus Band - Jesus Is Mighty To Save

The Ark - Sidewalk Preacherman

Children Of The Lamb - Decisions

Renacimiento - Date Cuenta

Paul Clark - Jesus Is My Great Shephard

The Four Corner Gospel Experience - Put Your Spirit Inside Of Me

Sidewalk Preacher 

Love Comes Down

I've Been Walkin'

15 Albums that have influenced me in some way or another

I've just copied this from a recent thing going round on Facebook.

These albums are not necessarily "The greatest albums in the world" or indeed my favourites, but they are albums that have affected me in some way, changed my point of view, opinion, direction, opened doors, lead me down new paths. They have made me laugh, cry, smile, dance and sing. They will always be in my heart and on my record player!

In no particular order (and there are many more I would have loved to add)

1) The Doors - The Doors

2) The Beatles - The White Album

3) The Prodigy - Experience 

4) Nirvana - Unplugged

5) Sasha & Jon Digweed - Northern Exposure 

6) The Libertines - Up The Bracket 

7) The Holy Modal Rounders - The Moray Eels Eat The Holy Modal Rounders

8) The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground

9) Peter Doherty - Wasted Gracelands 

10) Syd Barrett - The Mad Cap Laughs

11) Guns & Rose's - Appetite For Distruction

12) The Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money

13) DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - Brainfreeze

14) Chas & Dave - Rockney

15) The Can - Monster Movie 

There you goes!!

Strange Unearthly Creatures Podcast Aug 2010

This is the fist edition of the Strange Unearthly Creatures Podcast that with any luck will be running every month.


This is also my first ever attempt at a podcast so go easy on me, I'm a virgin!


Expect to hear lots of Funk, Punk, Soul, Psychedelics, Prog, Jazz, Gospel, Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Blues, Outsider, Freakbeat, Moog, Library, Soundtracks and much much more!!!!


Hope you enjoy.

Strange Unearthly Creatures Podcast Aug 2010 by Jonny_Bordello on Mixcloud

Daddy Was A Rock N Roll Martian

The year is 1957, man has received the first signals from space, this is truly a break through moment for mankind, first contact. As the first signals break through its as clear a bell

THOSE ALIENS ARE HAVING A ROCKIN' DANCE PARTY!!!!!

A one hour mix of Rock N Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Surf, Tittyshakers and Exotica. 

All songs in this mix are recorded from vinyl 45's.

Jonny Bordello - Daddy Was A Rock N Roll Martian by Jonny_Bordello on Mixcloud

Darktown Strutter Pt 2

Part two of the Darktown Strutter mix series. Cookin up a big pot of red hot sonic gumbo, yes sir!!


A pleasing blend of Psychedelic's, Funk, Library, Soundtrack, Turkish fuzz and a little touch of the old Rock N Roll!


All songs in this mix are recorded from vinyl 45's or Lp's


Dance, Dance, Dance!!!!!!!!

Jonny Bordello Persents - The Darktown Strutter Pt 2 by Jonny_Bordello on Mixcloud

Darktown Strutter Pt 1

Darktown Strutter Pt 1 is the first in a series of mix tapes and podcasts that I will be sharing on here.


Darktown Strutter is an eclectic blend of Psychedelic's, Soul, Funk and Rock & Roll that I hope you will find pleasing to the ear, mind and soul.


All songs in this mix are recorded from vinyl 45's or LP's.

Jonny Bordello Presents The Darktown Strutter Pt 1 by Jonny_Bordello on Mixcloud