Aldo Nova & Blue Öyster Cult

The Centrum
Worcester, Massachusetts
September 24th 1982

Remastered FM.
I posted a version of this in July 2020.

This is 2026 're-remaster' and I think it's an upgrade.

I saw this double bill at the Apollo in Manchester UK.
That was in 1984 as Grizz correctly pointed out.
We all know BÖC but perhaps some of you are less familiar with Aldo Nova.

This was shortly after the release of his debut album. He is a talented musician.
He wrote the riff for Blue Öyster Cult's Take Me Away
and was also part of the "guitar orchestra" on Imaginos.
This is a great quality radio broadcast.
Not the full set from either band but it is nice to have a recording of this tour.

Rick's drum solo, with it's triggered samples,  is excellent.

Can you spot the Gershwin lick in 'Veteran'?
regards
Titus

Aldo Nova
01 Lie to You
02 Hot Love
03 Fooling Yourself
04 All Night Long
05 Fantasy

Blue Öyster Cult
06 This Ain't the Summer of Love
07 Hot Rails to Hell
08 Joan Crawford
09 Cities on Flame with Rock & Roll
10 Veteran of the Psychic Wars
11 (Don't Fear) The Reaper
12 Godzilla intro
13 Godzilla
14 Born to be Wild

link

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 4 - Hitler Strikes East

After the unsuccessful attempt to defeat the British,

Hitler focuses his attention on eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

This proves to be quite a military gamble.

Why is he always on that bloody balcony?

regards

Titus

link

I see the inevitable "calls" for Thomas Tuchal to be sacked are in full swing.

The F.A. says he is staying for the next Euros as his contract states.

Some people don't like the idea of a foreign coach.

They'd also be demanding the head of an 'unsuccessful' Brit though.

As often cited: Since the inaugural tournament in 1930,

no team coached by a foreign manager has ever won the World Cup.

I think Tuchal did OK but would concede his tactics against Argentina went awry.

There have been 22 world cups and only eight countries have ever won it:

Brazil – 5 titles

Germany – 4 titles

Italy – 4 titles

Argentina – 3 titles

France – 2 titles

Uruguay – 2 titles

England – 1 title

Spain – 1 title

The format/numbers of teams has changed so much over the decades

that you're not really comparing like with like but the short list puts it into context.

(I concede some nations are bloody good at it)

48 sides means 47 fail to win the competition.

Breaking news: Getting to the semi-finals is good.

England now face France in the 3rd place play-off

which I believe they are calling the Bronze Game or something equally inane.

This third place thing is bollocks and should be scrapped.

Is there any other major sporting competition that does this?

There probably is...I haven't checked :)

regards

Titus

David Roter Method

Beauty of the Bambo

My aggressively remastered version of this compilation

which combines the albums Bambo (1987) and Beauty of the Island (1989)

David was a very creative person with a dark sense of humour.

The Blue Öyster Cult/Dictators connection should interest fans.

It certainly has that New York/CBGBs/underground feel.

regards

Titus

01 Il Duce

02 Marlena

03 Sonny Liston

04 Woola Butt

05 Do You Believe in Me?

06 New York New York

07 Beauty of the Island

08 Adopt Me

09 666 (Devil Got Your Mother)

10 Bambo

11 My Ex-Wife

12 Life with the Roaches

13 Pimp Without Money

14 I Shot Dr Krugman

15 Unknown Tongue

16 Joan Crawford

link

Poat match verdict: Argentina deserved their victory.

regards

Titus

My best wishes to all my French readers on this special day.

It is also the Frau Luxor's birthday (though that is less widely celebrated)

We can't believe it is ten years since we were in Nice

when that dickhead drove a truck into the crowds.

Vive la France!

regards

Titus

Looking forward to today's game.

Tough one to call with France regarded as favourites.

Trump seems to hate Spain so...

¡Vamos, España!

regards

Titus

Dr. Phibes and the House of Wax Equations

Peel Sessions 1991/1993

Remastered FM.

The 2nd session has the better sound quality.

An interesting trio:

Lawrence Howard King Jr. (guitar/vocals)

Lee Patrick Belsham (bass)

Keith York (drums)

Around 1991 the band I was in opened a show for Dr. Phibes.

I don't remember speaking to Keith much but Howard was cool

and I really liked Lee because he was a fellow bassist

and he gave me a generous chunk of his "combustible material".

Their album was number one in the indie chart.

They went on to play some big festivals including Glastonbury.

They had a decent rider too. There was ample beer and about 30 chillies.

More than they and their small crew could possibly consume

and we were all invited to help ourselves!

Howard had a massive state-of-the-art ghetto blaster.

He was nervous about leaving it unattended during their set

so we promised to keep an eye on it.

Eventually, it was time for us to play.

The gig went well and when I returned to the green room.

Howard said to me "follow that!" which was a nice compliment.

Then, things got a little strange.

The Phibes boys began pacing the room.

Like that DVD logo which used to bounce around on your TV screen.

I was amused by how well choreographed they were.

Crossing each other's paths but never quite colliding.

They also refused any more drink or smoke at this point.

I put it down to a mixture of 'preparation routine' and stage nerves.

As I had backstage privilege/access, I watched them from a private balcony.

They were really good.

Dr. Phibes' final live performance was in Manchester in 1995.

Shortly afterwards the group folded.

On February 16th 1997, Lawrence Howard King Jr. was charged by North Wales Police

with the murder of his mother, Avril Fiona King, two days earlier at their shared home

in Connah's Quay in north east Wales.

King, who stabbed and beat his mother, was jailed for life at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Someone told me he had been depressed since the band broke up.

Although I found him easy to get on with and a laid-back stoner-rocker

he was a quite big, stocky guy which came to mind when I heard of his violent act.

I imagined his mother having little chance of defending herself.

In May 2017, it was announced via the band's Facebook fan page

that bassist Lee Belsham had died of cancer at the age of 49.

In October 2024, drummer Keith York announced the death of Howard King Jr.

via the band's Facebook group.

The post did not mention a cause of death

nor any details of King's life post-incarceration, but stated:

"I've now shed tears for both my former band mates.

We lived our lives in each others pockets to create that music

which thankfully still lives on".

BTW the lyrics to Bearhug are chilling in retrospect.

regards

Titus

John Peel Show BBC Radio 1

April 8th 1991

broadcast: May 11th 1991

01 Burning Cross

02 Dreaming/Insomnia

03 LA Woman

May 16th 1993

broadcast: June 18th 1993

04 Wait for the Gripper

05 Bearhug

06 Transparent Hang Up

link

Santana

The Ritz

New York City

October 31st 1984

Remastered FM.

Decent quality recording of this Halloween concert.

They played two sets and I believe this is the early show.

The tunes from the (unfashionable?) early 80s albums sound really good.

Great gig with all the musicians getting their chance to shine.

regards

Titus

Disc 1

01 Spirit

02 Primera Invasion

03 Open Invitation

04 By the Pool/Samba Pa Ti

05 Breaking Out

06 Written in Sand/Body Surfing

07 She’s Not There/Marbles/Incident at Neshabur

08 Waited All My Life

09 I’ll Be Waiting

Disc 2

01 Savor/percussion/Super Boogie

02 Hong Kong Blues

03 Touchdown Raiders

04 Soul Sacrifice/Aranjuez

05 Batuka

06 No One to Depend On

07 Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen

08 Europa

09 Right Now

link

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 3 Britain at Bay

July 1940, Britain is standing on its last legs while being pummelled by Germany.

Though Hitler has better soldiers and a more powerful air force,

critical errors of the Luftwaffe allow Britain to regain strength and start pushing back.

regards

Titus

link

The Solid Ground Band with Jimmy Page

Crystal Bay Club

Reno, NV.

May 29th 1991

Remastered soundboard.

JP jammin' with a local bar band in Nevada.

Savage and loud Jimmy on this impromptu collaboration.

A bit shambolic at times, understandably, but it has it's moments

and it's good fun for Page afficionados.

regards

Titus

Disc 1

01 intro/Spider in Your Web

02 Steamroller

03 Johnny B. Goode

04 Hound Dog/Blue Suede Shoes

05 Smokin' Again

Disc 2

01 Slow Down

02 Old Time Rock and Roll

03 Kansas City Blues

04 Louie Louie/Wild Thing/Hang On Sloopy

link

Cartoon by Gary Larson.

regards

Titus

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 2 Lightning War

The Germans develop a new military tactic known as Blitzkrieg.

The Nazis use Blitzkrieg, dominating land and air warfare,

allowing them to take Poland and conquer France in a matters of weeks.

Britain and Canada, as well as other Commonwealth countries, declare war on Germany.

regards

Titus

link

Having been accused of Faragism by Sir Billy

I  am wary of any football-banter type humour.

So...I hope Spain and Belgium have a great game.

Both countires are wonderful.

Just as wonderful as all the other countries in the world.

regards

Titus

Looking forward to tomorrow's game.

It should be interesting.

regards

Titus

Titus Luxor
Sign On You Lazy Bastard (1987)

Reposred from August 2020

That cover reminds me of another band but I can't quite put my finger on it.

There's a text file with the lyrics for those who like to sing along.
If anyone has recordings of their own stuff
or bands they have been in feel free to offer them up.
I will remaster them and post them here (with your permission).
regards
Titus

01 Sign On
02 Once Too Often
03 Momentary Heart#
04 Ordinary Man
05 Elastic
06 Song with No Words
07 Dying 4 Your Love
08 Jobfinder
09 Natural Divide
10 You Started Something
11 Hard Words
12 Jabberwocky

link

Lyrics

Colosseum II

BBC2 Sight and Sound In Concert

Golders Green Hippodrome

London, UK

December 15th 1977

DVD (35 minutes) with remastered FM audio.

Gary Moore - guitar

Don Airey - keyboards

John Mole - bass guitar

Jon Hiseman - drums

The FM broadcast did not include Alan Black's intro

and was missing the end of 'The Scorch' (which still ends abruptly)

so the TV audio was used for those parts.

Thanks goes to Ross who did great work on the source including extensive re-syncing.

Gary Moore is, quite rightly, revered as a blues/rock guitarist

but his time as Jon Hiseman's answer to Al Di Meola

put paid to any doubts about his wider capabilities.

regards

Titus

intro (Alan Black)

Fighting Talk

Inquisition

Rivers

Desperado

The Scorch

link

Just kidding.

May the test beam win.

regards

Titus

A Porky Prime Cut

There is no specific date for when the office of Prime Minister first appeared,

as the role was not created but rather evolved over time through a merger of duties.

The term was regularly, if informally, used by Robert Walpole by the 1730s.

It was used in the House of Commons as early as 1805,

and it was certainly in parliamentary use by the 1880s,

but did not become the official title until 1905

when Henry Campbell-Bannerman held the post.

Historians generally consider Robert Walpole, who led the government of the Kingdom

of Great Britain for over twenty years from 1721 to be the first Prime Minister.

The first to use the title in an official act was Benjamin Disraeli

who signed the 1878 Treaty of Berlin as "Prime Minister of Her Britannic Majesty".

William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave,

are sometimes listed as Prime Ministers.

However, modern academic consensus does not consider

either man to have held office as PM.

Waldegrave's tenure lasted for five days.

He retired from public life in 1760, and died of smallpox in 1763.

William Pulteney only managed three days.

I always link his name to the City of Bath, particularly the Pulteney Bridge.

Completed in 1774, it is one of only four bridges in the world

to have shops across its full span on both sides.

A fabulous place to visit with it's impressive weir.

You'd have to be crazy to jump in there...right?

People are crazy.

Liz Truss was only PM for 50 days and I think she shouldn't be counted either.

It's a bit like how Pluto lost it's Planet status :)

regards

Titus

Various artists

Reading Festival 1973

Reposted from October 2023

regards

Titus

01 Rory Gallagher - Hands Off

02 Strider- Road Runner

03 Greenslade - Feathered Friends

04 Status Quo - Don't Waste My Time

05 The Faces - Losing You

06 Andy Bown - Long Legged Linda

07 Lesley Duncan - Earth Mother

08 Tim Hardin - Hang on to a Dream/Person to Person

link

Les quarts de finale.

UK times and TV channels:

09th 21.00 ITV France vs Morocco

10th 20.00 BBC Spain vs Belgium

11th 22.00 ITV Norway vs England

12th 02.00 ITV Argentina vs Switzerland

regards

Titus

Starcastle

Ford Auditorium

Detroit, MI

March 10th 1976

Remastered audience recording.

They were sandwiched between opening act Dr. Feelgood and headliners Journey.

Dunno who thought this bill was suitable for The Feelgoods :)

A nice performance from the American pomp-rockers

who were obviously heavily influenced by Yes.

regards

Titus

01 intro/Stargate/Sunfield

02 Elliptical Seasons

03 Forces

04 Lady Of The Lake/Nova

05 To the Fire Wind

link

Glad to see the USA trounced by Belgium despite Trump's efforts

to influence the game by colluding with the equally corrupt Gianni Infantino

to overturn Folarin Balogun's red card.

I was hoping the US would do well until this happened.

Would Americans really want a victory that the whole world views as cheating?

'Overturn This'

Belgium mock US President Donald Trump and FIFA after USA World Cup exit.

regards

Titus

World War II in Colour (2008)

Episode 1 The Gathering Storm

Just years after World War I Germany and other nations are in an economic depression.

Leader approval ratings in Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain are low

fuelling the rise of military dictators and their parties.

After Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

he and his generals plot the invasion of Poland.

It's all kicking off again! Scheiße!

regards

Titus

link

Michael Bruce with Billy James

No More Mr. Nice Guy (1996 - revised and updated 2000)

The ex-Coop guitarist and songwriter spills the beans.

Michael comes across as slightly bitter

but it's a great read with some nice vintage pictures.

An essential book for fans of the original band.

regards

Titus