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Ridgefield schools eye cuts to staff health costs
RIDGEFIELD — Superintendent Karen Baldwin succeeded in drafting a reduction plan to make the finance board's $884,000 cut to the 2017-18 school budget, but not without what she calls "tremendous risk" for next year.
Baldwin presented the plan, which includes reductions in personnel and possible health benefits savings, to the school board Wednesday after the Board of Finance cut the schools' $93.5 million budget proposal two weeks ago in anticipation of a loss in state aid.
The biggest risk in the reduction plan is a potential $200,000 in employee health insurance savings, which Baldwin told the board will not be confirmed until the insurance provider meets with the employee unions over the next week. She added that the plan will likely include lowering premiums, but that she couldn't say too much.
"We're cautiously optimistic about that process and we'll learn a lot more in those discussions," Baldwin said. "But I don't want to discuss it without discussing it with the union."
More Information
Superintendent's Recommendation to Reduce Budget by $884,000
$171,900 Personnel
$83,000 Special Education
$270,000 Health Benefits
$15,000 Energy Costs
$20,190 Facility Projects
$66,000 More Covered with Grant Money
$7,000 Mileage Costs
$96,461 Technology Costs
$140,735 Curriculum and Instructional Materials
Employee health benefits were the biggest driver for the schools' budget increase and a concern throughout the budget process, Baldwin said. About $14.4 million of the original budget proposal were allotted for benefits, which increased 9.18 percent over this year.
Ridgefield isn't the only district struggling to deal with rising health benefits costs. Rob Rader, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, said districts across the state have been searching for ways to deal with rising health costs, which have gotten steadily more expensive over his 35 years with CABE.
"All school districts are looking at cost savings they can find," he said. "All districts are feeling very squeezed."
Rader said school districts all take different approaches, including looking at higher deductibles, implementing a health savings account or switching providers.
If Ridgefield can't save the $200,000 in insurance costs, the board will have to cut more staff, Baldwin said. That would likely mean raising class sizes in the 1st and 3rd grade, she added, but the board could discuss other options.
The $884,000 reduction plan already reduces two positions from the budget, one elementary school teacher and a secretary for the special education office. The elementary level teacher would have been a new employee next year and the secretary would have filled a recent retirement.
Baldwin said reducing the elementary staff is another risk in the budget, as more students could enroll than predicted. The district was forced to hire three new elementary teachers last summer after 2016-17 enrollment was higher than projected.
"If we have a sudden influx of students then we'll have the same problem that we had this year," said Board Chair Fran Walton. "But (reducing) $884,000 is never going to be easy."
Other parts of the reduction plan include revising when to use substitute teachers, using more grant money than originally planned and tapping into savings to pay for instructional materials.
Director of Technology and Operations Development Robert Miller told the board that another risk could be part of the $96,461 cut from the technology budget. About $40,000 of the reduction is for a phone contract, which Miller said the district is in negotiations to get out of. But if the negotiations fall through the district will need to pay, he said.
The school board will vote on the reduction plan Monday.


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GNEx explosion proof loudspeaker
World-leading warning signalling manufacturer E2S introduces a new range of explosion proof horns and loudspeakers.
The new GNEx family, comprising of GNExS1 (117db @ 1m) and GNExS2 (123db @ 1m) is manufactured from lightweight and cost effective GRP, and offers excellent corrosion resistance for use in harsh environments both offshore and onshore.
Both models offer a choice of 45 different alarm tones, including those that meet the PFEER regulations, while a second or third tone can be selected using additional control wires, providing the versatility of multiple tones from a single unit at a lower cost. The 15 watt GNExL1 and 25 watt GNExL2 loudspeakers are available in 8 Ohm, 16 Ohm and 100V line versions. In/Out terminals eliminate the need for additional junction boxes in multiple device installations.
The GNEx explosion proof sounders and loudspeakers come with ATEX and IECEx approvals; other approvals such as UL, GOST R and InMetro will follow soon. The GNExS1 sounder has a certified temperature range of -60°C to +50°C at Ex d IIC T4, with extended temperature range of +70°C at IIB T4, allowing its installation in almost all Zone 1 (Cat 2G) and Zone 2 (Cat 3G) areas.
The flame paths in the new design use a large screw thread instead of the usual spigot joint, making it much easier to disassemble, saving time and money during installation. All GNEx products are supplied in a standard red colour; however other colours are available optionally.
Mechtric has more than 40 years' experience in the supply and support of a comprehensive range of sounders, beacons, loudspeakers, voice alarms and wide area signalling equipment for the mining, oil and gas, hazardous area, industrial and marine markets.

subset: commoncrawl


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List & Earn Rs.250* extra. Available in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad.
Insane Moto E4 Plus Back Cover::Premium Back Case for Moto E4 Plus::Hard Printed Back Cover for Moto E4 Plus::Designer Back Cover for Moto E4 Plus
Pay on Delivery (Cash/Card) eligible
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What is Pay on Delivery?
Pay on Delivery (POD) includes Cash on Delivery (COD) as well as Debit card / Credit card / Net banking payments at your doorstep.
Pay on Delivery (POD) includes Cash on Delivery (COD) as well as Debit card / Credit card / Net banking payments at your doorstep.
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
- Designer cover case. Beautiful and Tough. Use this case to reduce the chance of breakage.
- Outer layer fix perfectly around the inner shell to absorb impact form drops bumps and shocks.
- Complete access to all features of the device including microphone, speaker, camera and all buttons. Enhance the appearance of the overall phone.
- Easy to install and uninstall
- All Sides Printing
Have a question?
Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews
Product description
This durable, stylish 3D case keeps your Moto E4 Plus safe and protected. The back designs are totally customized designs, these designs on the cases are manufactured by Insane Covers after you place the order. Allows easy access to all buttons, controls and ports of your Moto E4 Plus. This case covers full back side of your Moto E4 Plus and need not to replace the original back cover. Attractive, unique designs. Protects your Moto E4 Plus from scratches and damage. Comfortable and light weight for daily use. Comfortable and perfect fit for your Moto E4 Plus. Easy to install and remove. .
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About Yanick Dery
Yanick Dery is one of today's most distinctive and down to earth fashion photographers.
Born and raised in Montreal, Yanick Dery graduated from CEGEP du Vieux Montreal. He began working as a press photographer for two different local newspapers, focusing on sports and special events. During this time, he experimented with fashion photography by shooting local models.
Yanick Dery has since photographed models and celebrities ....
Yanick Dery photo gallery


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Haitian coffee, famous for its rich taste and various aromas, has been a staple of Haiti since its colonization by France in the 17th century. With some of the world's best Arabica Typica plants growing on its highest mountains, Haiti was responsible for half of the world's supply of coffee in the late 1700's.
Hurt by natural disasters, U.S. led embargoes and political unrest, the Haitian coffee production decreased largely in volume. That's when Brazil moved in and took control of the world coffee market.
Today, Haitian coffee is making a comeback on the global market as one of the finest coffee in the Caribbean, if not "THE" finest.
Being a coffee connoisseur is becoming as serious and respected a label as that of wine sommelier. Coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up. With hundreds of origins and flavors of coffee to choose from, it's helpful to know a little more about our specialty coffees, in order to fully appreciate them. The distinct flavors, highlights and accents of the vast array of specialty coffees are more fully present when carefully paired with the foods which complement them. Haitian coffee is particularly suited to be enjoyed this way. In general, coffee can be classified into three main categories of light, medium and dark , with light being paired well with sweet fruits and hard cheese. Medium-bodied coffees are best...


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One way Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride might resuscitate his slumping unit Sunday is by employing a no-huddle, two-minute offense.
Gilbride said when you're trying to remedy a unit's woes, you typically "go back to the things that are your core." He then pointed out that historically the Giants' offense has performed well in the no-huddle and revealed it's "absolutely" under consideration to be used.
"You don't want me to tip my hand now, do you?" Gilbride said.
The primary advantage of the no-huddle offense is utilizing a quicker tempo and perhaps allowing your offense to get into rhythm while also making it more difficult for the defense to sub players in and out.
Gilbride said last Sunday, when the Giants took over with 4:02 to go in the game, trailing the Steelers 24-20, they went to the two-minute offense — but they also went three-and-out, after two incompletions and a sack.
"Doesn't always work," Gilbride said. "But it has been something we've been very good at, and hopefully we're going to recover and get back to that."
The struggling Giants would like to get back to what they've been for the last year and a half, which has been a superb offensive outfit. Last year they averaged 24.6 points per game (ninth-best in the NFL), then upped it to 25.5 points in the playoffs. This year the Giants are averaging 28.2 points (sixth-best), highlighted by 41-point explosions versus both the Buccaneers and Browns and a 36-point performance against the Panthers.
But the last two weeks, the offense scored just 22 points against the Cowboys and 13 against the Steelers, averaging only 17.5 in the two-game spurt.
"It has been a long while [since we've struggled]," Gilbride said. "It wasn't something we expected to happen. We certainly appreciated the ability level of the two defenses we've played, but we expected to perform a lot better than we did. Was it jarring? Yeah, it was. There's no question about it."
Gilbride admitted the health of Hakeem Nicks (knee) and Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) have forced him to alter his play calling. He also insisted that players besides Eli Manning (one touchdown, four interceptions the last three weeks) need to perform.
"He gets way too much credit when things go well; he gets way too much blame when things don't go well because that position only performs as well as the guys around him," Gilbride said. "It's not just him, trust me. It's all of us. We've all got to do a better job."


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- May 29, 1957 - November 27, 2016
- Peachtree City, Georgia
of Donna's Passing
Share This Obituary
Make a Memorial Donation
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Donna was born on May 29, 1957 and passed away on Sunday, November 27, 2016.
Donna was a resident of Peachtree City, Georgia at the time of passing.
A memorial service will be conducted on Saturday December 3 2016 at 11:00am in the Chapel of Conner-Westbury Funeral Home.


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Hilton Dubai The Walk is one of Dubai 4-stars hotels, which offer stylish and attractive rooms that are designed with the modern decoration and are equipped with the latest facilities and services to meet the guests need, include minibar, TV, air conditioning and private bathroom with free toiletries. The hotel also distinctive services for guests to enjoy during the period of the visit include room service, 24-hour front desk, meeting/banquet facilities and currency exchange. Don't hesitate and book Hilton Dubai The Walk with the cheapest prices with Flyin.
Located on The Walk in the heart of the stylish and popular Jumeirah Beach and linked by a bridge to the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Residences is surrounded by beautiful boutiques al fresco dining venues and contemporary Arabic cultural attractions. These modern Dubai apartments offer excellent connectivity and are only 5 minutes walk from the metro station providing access to Downtown Dubai and Deira and 40 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport.
This is a modern chic building located on 'The Walk' - Jumeirah
The hotel has a large lobby.
Cancellation policies can vary seasonally or depending on the hotel or room type. You can review the specific policy for the hotel you selected during the reservation process.
All children are welcome. One child under 12 years stays free of charge when using existing beds. One child under 2 years stays free of charge in a child's cot/crib. There is no capacity for extra beds in the room. The maximum number of children's cots/cribs in a room is 1. Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
Pets are not allowed
Reach us, we're available 24/7.


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Employers with 11 or more employees in the previous year -- except those in certain low-hazard establishments in the retail, services, finance and real estate sectors -- are required to maintain records of work-related injuries and illnesses and post the summary of their records for calendar year 2002.
Starting in 2002, the recordkeeping regulation and required forms were changed to the new Form 300 for logging of recordable cases, Form 301 for collection of details, and Form 300A for the annual summary.
Comprehensive information on the requirements effective in 2002, including the list of exempted establishments, can be found at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/etools/recordkeeping/index.html.
Establishments exempted from ongoing recordkeeping may still be selected by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics to participate in an annual statistical survey requiring recording of workplace injuries and illnesses.
The Form 300A for 2002 is required to be posted in the workplace starting Feb. 1, 2003. In prior years, the summary only had to be posted for the month of February. Now, the summary form (300A) must be posted for the entire three months of February, March and April.
The Form 300A must be displayed in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted. Companies with no injuries and illnesses in 2002 should post the Form 300A with zeros on the total line.
Also, the annual summary must be mailed or provided to any employees who normally do not report at least weekly to a location where the annual summary for their workplace is posted.
The annual summary includes information on the types of injuries and illnesses that occurred in the previous calendar year and their extent and outcome. The summary alerts employees of possible hazards in their workplace. Employment information regarding annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year is also required to assist in calculating injury and illness incidence rates.
In addition to recording injuries and illnesses meeting criteria detailed in the recordkeeping regulation, employers are required to report immediately by telephone to the nearest Cal/OSHA district office any serious injury or illness or death of an employee occurring in a place of employment or in connection with any employment.
Immediately means as soon as practically possible but not longer than eight hours after the employer knows or with diligent inquiry would have known of the death or serious injury or illness. If the employer can demonstrate that exigent circumstances exist, the time frame for the report may be made no longer than 24 hours after the incident. Serious injury or illness is defined in section 330(h), Title 8, California Administrative Code.


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AdMonkey.org is the creation of Marc Librescu, who, along with his wife, owns Advance Marketing Communications, a boutuque public relations agency located in Irvine, California. In addition to serving the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area, Advance has national and international clients.
Copyright and Fair Use Statement
This web site contains some copyrighted material whose use has not been authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Fair Use notwithstanding, we will immediately comply with any copyright owner who wants their material removed.
If you have any questions about this copyright statement or the practices of this site, you can contact:


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Darius Fisher is the co-founder and the current president of Status Labs. He received his education from Vanderbilt University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics. Fisher interests revolve around entrepreneurship, development of real estate, technology, and matters to do with public affairs. He is a soccer player and loves traveling around the word. Before forming the Status Labs, he was an active copywriter and advisor in political matters.
Darius Fisher, the co-founder and the president of Status Labs
Status Labs is one of the leading online firm, which specializes in managing reputation, digital marketing, and public relations. The conglomerate is operated from Austin, New York City and Sao Paulo where its headquarters are located. The firm's primary objective/goal is to assist its prospects get the best reputation and expand their digital marketing activities to the international levels. Owing to Fisher's efforts and commitments, the client's portfolio has increased to 1,500 prospects in over 35 countries. Its prospects range from prominent individuals, politicians, athletes, and celebrities.
Effects of Motivating Employees According to Fisher
According to Darius Fisher, employees has usually motivated to work extra hard on getting incentives and other awards. He gives a live example where he had offered his team of staff incentives such as a trip to Costa Rica, and home cleaning services each month. He thus, he advises company managers to capitalize heavily on giving such incentives to their employees to their employees purposely to increase productivity.
Fisher's advice on regular employee's acknowledgement
In his words, Darius Fisher points out the importance of appreciating the hard working and top performing members of staff. In his firm, when one of the employees manages to accomplish a massive project, makes big sales or even strives hard to make a significant and effective press hit, the entire team of staff gets his congratulations through an email for a good job. Although it may seem to be a small move, it has a great impact according to Darius Fisher. Besides, Fisher stresses on why it is important to keep employees well-informed of what happens in the firm.


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We are loving this whimsical doily bunting cake topper by Katika Made! It features hot pink or yellow hearts (custom colors upon request) made with hand-sewn burlap and felt with a ribbon bunting banner attached. This is a sweet topper to any wedding cake and can be used after the big day, too!
To view this topper and other handmade wedding items, check out KatikaMade, Featured Artisan in The Marketplace. You can view her EB Shop Portal here.
Happy Planning!


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Morning! I hope you had an awesome weekend ^_^
As you guys know, I have recently joined a new agency and they were hoping to get some information about you guys to make sure the campaigns they pitch to me are actually relevant and interesting to you all. It's been forever since I did a proper reader survey so I figured why not!
The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete and as a thank you, they will be sending a $150 Westfield Voucher to a random reader who submits (make sure you put in a valid email if you want to be in the running for it).
Unfortunately this time they can only send the voucher to Australian addresses (feel free to fill it out anyway!) but I'm working on a big competition which will be open internationally soon!
You can fill it out below or click here.
Thanks so much for taking the time to help and good luck!


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National Action Weekend, 31st January - 1st February 2015
This event is now FINISHED, for more information regarding campaigning in Bristol West, please email email@example.com
We are heading off to the beautiful city of Bristol to go and campaign for Stephen Williams MP. We'll be doing lots of campaigning on Saturday and Sunday! We'll be doing lots of campaigning on Saturday and Sunday, there'll also be the chance to socialise with other young liberals on the Saturday evening.
Accommodation is free. Food on the Saturday night will be provided. We are giving up to £30 towards everyone's travel costs - just book your travel and we will reimburse you the cost up to £30!
If you have any questions or want more information, then please email our full time staff member Olivia at email@example.com.
About Stephen
Stephen Williams grew up in the South Wales village of Abercynon in the Cynon Valley. He has lived in Bristol ever since he came to study history at the University of Bristol, where he was also the President of the SDP/Liberal society.
He won Bristol West in 2005, taking the seat from Labour with 38.3% of the vote, in what was described as one of the biggest swings to the Liberal Democrats of the 2005 General Election. This made him the first Liberal MP ever for that constituency and the first to be elected in the city of Bristol since 1935.
On his return to Parliament in 2010 Stephen was appointed the chairman of the Liberal Democrat backbench committee for Treasury matters and was also elected to serve on the newly-formed Constitutional Reform Select Committee. On 7th October 2013 he was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
In January 2015 Stephen was appointed to the Liberal Democrat General Election Cabinet as the party's Communities and Local Government spokesperson.


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Hughes Reveals Fate of "All-Star Wonder Woman" and His 2012 Plans
How do you become one of the most popular and acclaimed over artists in modern comics history? For Adam Hughes, his journey began when publishers stopped asking him to do interiors as often. As the veteran artist concludes his run on "Batgirl" covers for DC Comics New 52 and segues over to Vertigo's "Fables" spin-off "Fairest," Hughes is in a period of transition between what's come before and what comes next.
CBR News spoke with Hughes following an earlier CBR feature profiling unreleased comic books including the creator's own "All-Star Wonder Woman," and after some miscommunication over the book's ultimate fate we cleared the air and Hughes opened up about the title and the scope of his unique career.
CBR News: Let's start with an easy one, Adam — what are you working on today?
Adam Hughes: Today? I'm working on a cover for the "Overstreet Price Guide" that DC Comics actually asked me to do. I'm also doing some tweaks to the covers for "Fairest" #1 and 2 — basically, well, making the women fairer! It's one thing to do covers for "Wonder Woman" or "Catwoman" and make the leading ladies as beautiful as I can. It's another thing to work on a book that's actually called "Fairest" — it's like a guarantee that the ladies have to be the prettiest you've ever seen. I feel like I need to "take 'Fight Club' up a notch," as it were.
We're speaking today because of the piece I wrote on announced comics that have yet to be released, and your "All-Star Wonder Woman" was at the top of the list. After sorting out some miscommunication where it was listed as "presumed dead," you commented that it was "in a coma on a high, dark shelf." Since so many people were looking forward to it, could you explain how the project developed and ended up the way it has?
I was working with Geoff Johns on "All-Star Batman & Robin," originally. That was before Frank Miller and Jim Lee had the book. At some point someone at DC said "Why do we have Adam drawing 'All-Star Batman & Robin' when he should really be doing 'All-Star Wonder Woman?'" No one had a good answer for that, so they offered me "All-Star Wonder Woman." Geoff and I started hashing out the story, but when Geoff got so busy writing many regular DC projects, I ended up getting the all the creative chores for "All-Star Wonder Woman," with Geoff's blessing.
I would work on it, and then get sidetracked by single-illustration assignments, covers and such, because they pay faster. I'm really slow, and doing interior work that doesn't pay until you get lots of pages in the drawer isn't conducive to paying the bills. Especially when you're trying to buy your first home or your wife has a medical condition that requires a lot of money to take care of. "All-Star Wonder Woman" would get worked on in what is laughably referred to as my 'spare time.' I just ended up with less and less time to devote to it. Eventually, we all realized that it was taking forever, so we just all agreed to hold off on it 'til the time was right to do it properly.
Can you say how much work — story, art, covers — you completed before you called it a day on the project?
I can, but I don't wish to. Invariably it'll be seen as 'not enough' or 'geez, you're almost there — can't you just knuckle down and wrap it up?'
What do you think the honest chances are that the project might come back and be published at a later date?
Well, I still have a contract; DC never tore it up. I think we'd all like me to get to it eventually. DC has said as much. I would very much like to get it out someday. It'll be my 'lost project' for a while, and then someday it'll come out. I think with the end of the All-Star line, and what DC is doing with the New 52 initiative… my "Wonder Woman" might get lost in the shuffle or worse — compete with what other people are trying to do with the character in the mainstream.
Although your "Wonder Woman" series never came out, I did dig out my weathered single issues of the previous major project you wrote and drew: "Gen13: No Ordinary Heroes." How do you view that series in hindsight?
The way any creator views their earlier work: with equal parts pride & dread. [Laughs] That was another gig I wasn't supposed to write, but ended up doing anyways. It was my first writing credit! Mark Waid had my favorite comment about it: "I liked it more than I thought I would, Adam."
Although it's a rarity, on a few occasions you've written a comic with another artist drawing it like the overlooked "Superman/Gen13" series you did with a young Lee Bermejo. What are the chances we could see you doing more of that, writing for another artist?
I was supposed to write and draw that book, but I ended up quitting over creative differences with DC. The finished scripts sat in a drawer for a few years, pretty much dead as far as I was concerned, and then Wildstorm came to me and asked if I minded if they published it using another artist. My response was: "You paid for it; it's your script, not mine." I'd washed my hands of the project, after investing the better part of a year getting it ready. Imagine my surprise when Lee Bermejo came along and did such a wonderful job on it!
As for writing for other artists — well, to be honest, I resist it. I've had several offers, and I just don't want to take the chance of getting distracted from being an artist. It's something that would be very easy to do. I pain over every line when I lay down, but I really enjoy writing and it comes much more quickly to me than drawing. But I want to be an artist, so, I resist.
When I think of you and your work, the next thing that pops in my mind is Gaijin Studios. Although the studio disbanded a few years ago, do you still keep in touch with the guys and girls you worked with there?
Actually, the studio was still around up until last year. I'd left in the early part of this last decade, to try to save up money for a house, but I was always on good terms with my old studio mates. I just went to a Christmas party with Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story, among other Atlanta-area creators. Cully Hamner and I get together for lunches. When I see Jason Pearson, Dave Johnson, or Joe Philips at cons, we always say hi to each other. It's always a joy to see their work as well, when I come across it.
When I've seen you at conventions, you're always busy and the line to talk to you is long. What's it like to be Adam Hughes at a convention?
It's a bit of a zoo. Everyone wants either a sketch, a portfolio review, or a chat. I try to accommodate everyone, God bless 'em, but it does get to be a bit of a madhouse. Especially when you have to be on your best behavior. Usually by Day 5 of San Diego Comic-Con, I want to yell "I'm pooped! Go see Jeff Campbell — he's got more energy!"
I couldn't help but notice how well your sales of art go at conventions. I know they started out as fun and promotion, but could you say how much doing commissions factors into your overall workload?
Original art sales is really the beating heart of my income. All of us creative types have to sing for our suppers, and for some the song is original art. I'm happy that people dig my work enough to want to own it.
You're a busy man at conventions, but I've read online that you're cutting back in 2012 and only attending three: C2E2, Heroes Con and CCI: San Diego. What led to this decision?
Workload is one. Private life is another. We've made some headway into getting my wife Allison cured and healthy; she & I discussed it and decided that if we could ease up on the cons for just a little bit, maybe just one convention season, we could be free to pursue the efforts to getting her squared away, health-wise. If we're fortunate, 2012 could be our year.
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The NCAA and its members apparently saw this coming.
In 2010, the NCAA amended bylaw 13.14.3, which sets regulations under which colleges are allowed to use recruiting services. The changes were an attempt to prevent recruiting services from essentially selling access to blue-chip recruits.
The NCAA apparently is investigating whether that was the case when Oregon paid $25,000 to Willie Lyles and his now-defunct Complete Scouting Services.
Before the amending of the bylaw, there was "minimal" regulation of the relationship between schools and recruiting services, said NCAA spokesperson Stacey Osburn.
The membership was concerned, Osburn said, that recruiting services might offer basic information that was easily accessible elsewhere in return for subscription fees that were really used to gain access to blue-chip recruits with ties to the service.
Lyles had close ties to highly sought-after running back Lache Seastrunk. He signed with the Ducks, who later paid Lyles' service $25,000.
The amended bylaw attempts to prevent inappropriate transactions by:
-- prohibiting schools from purchasing more than one annual subscription to a particular service;
--?requiring the same services be offered at the same rate to all subscribers;
--?requiring the service to publicly identify all its rates and provide updated information at least four times per calendar year;
--requiring the service publicly identify whether its scope is local, regional or national and provide broad-based info from its area;
--?requiring the service provide more than basic demographic info and rankings;
--?requiring the service to provide samples of what it offers before purchase;
--?requiring services offering video limit it to that from regularly scheduled games for which the college has not made prior arrangements for recording.
LSU has created a Recruiting/Scouting Service Approval Form that the services must fill out, saying that they adhere to the specifics of the bylaw.
Still, senior associate athletic director Herb Vincent admitted, "you're basically on the honor system with these guys."
High school coaches are also wary of the occasional bad apple in the cart of recruiting services.
High school players and their family will hire recruiting services to provide the player's information and video to schools around the country in hopes of getting noticed. St. Michael the Archangel coach Eric Held said this time of the year is when high school seniors-to-be and their family can be "vulnerable."
"The summer before their last year is crunch time if they haven't been offered (a scholarship)," Held said. "Mom and Dad are going to do everything they can to help their kid, and that can mean spending thousands of dollars. We want to make sure the services they're dealing with are on the up and up."
Dutchtown coach Benny Saia, who has one of the most-sought after recruits in the country in senior-to-be safety Landon Collins, said college-caliber kids don't need those services.
"I tell them it's a waste of money," Saia said. "If you can play, they will find you." Saia makes sure by routinely sending video highlights of his players to colleges for free.
Dunham coach Guy Mistretta said he rarely sees recruiting services coming to his campus, but if he saw one showing up repeatedly and cozying up to a top prospect, that would be "a red flag."
Lee Brecheen runs Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Sports Enterprises and has provided video and other information on high school players to colleges for the last 20 years - "since back in the VHS days," he said. Brecheen said he welcomes the NCAA trying to weed out illegitimate services.
"We film our own games, and I break down the film before it goes to the colleges," Brecheen said. "Some people don't ever look at the film they're sending out. Everything is evaluated off of film, seeing them in full pads. Everything else is fluff."
Breechen said he steers clear of workout camps where some recruiting services will cultivate relationships with players.
"I don't think that's very wise," Brecheen said. "You're not a recruiter. You're supplying information."


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This week:
Although I didn't do any of the labor, we now have a level site for the new goat barn and a new driveway. The old dilapidated garage is gone, as well as the old barn roof that was hanging in a tree. Three big old trees also came down, which saddened me, but one supported that roof, another was rotten inside, and the third was just a half-tree; the other half came down a few years ago.
We had to dig up two young fruit trees and will replant them in a new, better spot as soon as it's safe to do so.
The dozer driver also leveled out and prepared a new garden site for me. After asking me what was under that pile of dirt (my compost pile), he'd asked me where my garden is. I answered that my husband's alpacas are in my fenced garden, which meant no garden for me again this year. He then took it upon himself to make a new garden spot for me. ;-) Where are my seeds? Is it too late? I will be busy next week!


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vest - H&M divided, skirt - H&M trend, boots - Zara, necklaces - H&M
It's freezing. No really, it's freezing! At night the temperature drops below 0*C. Brrr..! Time for one of my favorite thing these days: Cosy knitted vests! I bought this one to take with me on our holiday next week, but couldn't resist wearing it yesterday. My friend Desiree and her boyfriend moved to this big, cool, grown ups house and to celebrate that they threw a housewarming last night. Still recovering from the flu, but couldn't miss that! So well wrapped in this warm vest I went. And had fun!
What are your plans for the weekend? And what do you think about my new vest?
Title: Boy & Bear - Moonfire ♪


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As Mac would say, I'm a freakazoid. I don't put milk in my cereal. Never. But I love a cold glass of milk with my cereal. So having finished off the gallon last night with dessert, I was keenly aware that we were out of milk, and that this morning was going to start off badly.
Instead, when I awoke I was pleasantly surprised and a bit shocked to find a fresh gallon sitting in the fridge! Where did it come from? My pre-breakfast mind quickly came up with three possible answers to the presence of the mysterious milk jug.
- My wife got up early and picked up some groceries before going to work. or…
- Burglars broke into my house and left behind a gallon of milk. or…
- My wife bought a cow last night, stabled it in the garage, and milked the cow this morning.
Of course there are many more possible answers. But these were my top three pre-breakfast guesses and all successfully explained the mystery milk.
Before doing any investigation, how do I choose? Which answer should I prefer? Talking like a scientist, "which one would be my working hypothesis?" Fortunately science has a great tool to help. It's called Occam's Razor.
Occam's Razor is named after 14th century philosopher, William of Ockham, who argued that "simpler explanations are, other things being equal, generally better than more complex ones."
His razor blade shaves away details that are unnecessary.
Very often in science (and in life), there is more than one solution that can explain a mystery. Occam's Razor picks the simplest solution, until there is a need for more accuracy. The principle allows you to quickly decide where to focus your efforts.
In my case, scenario 1 is the simplest answer. My wife bought some milk this morning. This may be wrong. But until I hear mooing coming from the garage, or see a newspaper headline about "Burglar Bandits Leave Milk Behind", this is my working hypothesis.
Your math teacher would use the Razor if a student claimed that space zombies stole his homework. Occam's Razor would suggest that maybe the student just forgot to do the assignment.
Remember, Occam's Razor is a guide. not a judge. Start simple, and only add complications when you need to explain additional observations. It may turn out that space zombies did steal the kid's homework. And I may have a cow in my garage. I'll go check after breakfast.
Illustration Credit: Razor detail from linen texture postcard, Boston Public Library. "Since 1731, J.A. Henckels Twin Brand Razors and Shears, radiant with quality and beauty like the rising sun, have been recognized by the discriminating master barbers as the best the world produces and the most satisfactory and the most economical to use." Harry H. Baumann, 216 W. 18th Street, New York.1930 – 1945 (approximate)


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Account: Login/Register >
Zest Mushroom and Green Pepper Pasta Sauce 340g
A rich tasting, full flavoured sauce made with mushrooms and peppers, made without added starch or sugar. Delicious hot on pasta, as a topping for pizzas, or poured straight from the jar as a base for Bolognese.
INGREDIENTS: tomatoes 56%, onion, mushrooms 7%, tomato paste 4%, green pepper 4%, vegetable oil, extra virgin olive oil, water, basil, parsley, apple juice concentrate, garlic puree, sea salt, oregano, toasted sesame oil, white wine vinegar, black pepper
ALLERGY ADVICE: for allergens, see ingredients in bold
Nutrition facts per 100g
Energy 385kJ / 91kcal
Fats g 6.7
Carbohydrates g 5.4
Protein g 0.7
Salt g 1.33
AB World Foods Ltd
Kiriana House
Kiribati Way


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Throughout all ages, the activities of mankind have weighed heavily upon the environment. In turn, changes in that environment have favoured the rise of certain social groups and limited the actions of others. Despite this, environmental history has remained a 'blind spot' for most social and economic historians. This is to be regretted, as the various and unequal effects of environmental change often explain the strengths and weaknesses of certain social groups, irrespective of their being defined along the lines of class, gender and ethnicity. This volume brings together the expertise of social and environmental historians in an effort to assess the extent to which transnational agents changed socioecological space as a consequence of globalization since the Late Middle Ages.The introduction of these crops was preceded by the largescale and rapid deforestation of the islands; the ... The essay by Horan takes the story up on the eighteenth-century Caribbean sugar plantations, where the slave population was nowanbsp;...
|Globalization, Environmental Change, and Social History
|Peter Boomgaard, Marjolein 't Hart
|Cambridge University Press - 2011-02-24
You must register with us as either a Registered User before you can Download this Book. You'll be greeted by a simple sign-up page.
Once you have finished the sign-up process, you will be redirected to your download Book page.How it works:


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- 2 plates, but it could easily fit four. (in center of basket)
- Bag of spinach (on op of plates)
- Salad dressing
- Silverware
- Bread loaf
- Peanut butter
- Jelly
- Bag of baby carrots
- 2 glass cups
- 1 bushel basket.
- 1 piece of 60in x 17in piece of yellow gingham for the liner.
- 1 piece of 60in x 10in piece of vintage floral for the pockets.
- 14in x 14in piece of yellow gingham for the bottom. (this will eventually be cut into a circle)
- Bias tape. (Made from left over fabric from another project. I used Dana's tutorial.)
- Yellow thread.
Step 4: Fold fabric in half with right sides together, and sew the raw edges together to make a tube shape. (see illustration below)
Step 5: Cut 2 rounded notches on opposite sides of the top of the liner, to accommodate the handles on the basket. (see illustration below) These should measure about 5in deep and 4in wide.
Step 7: Cut the 14x14in piece of fabric into a circle by folding it into fourths and cutting off the corners. I drew a dotted line, (see illustration below) staying 7 inches from the center corner, and cut along the line. Super easy :) (Remember to zigzag the edges of the circle before you move on.)
Step 8: Gather bottom of tube piece in preparation to sew it to the circle...here's how: Without back-stitching, straight stitch along the bottom of the entire tube piece, leaving enough thread at the end to grab onto.
Next, pin the circle to the tube on four opposite sides (see illustration below). The idea is to equally distribute the extra fabric on the tube piece between the pins.
The next thing is to simply pull on one of the threads, and you will see it magically gather like a ruffle. Only pull until it's about the same size as the circle piece. (see illustration below)
Finally, finish pinning the gathered piece onto the circle piece, and straight-stitch them together like normal.
It's finished! Put it in the basket and look at your glorious creation!
Have a great rest of the week everyone, and have an awesome picnicking weekend ! :)


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Iran could have better relations with the United States, but it's up to Washington to change its "hostile" stance towards Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says.
"It's possible that Iran and the United states might have friendly relations. But the key to that is in Washington's hands, not Tehran's," Rouhani said in Rome before flying to Paris to continue his first trip to Europe since the lifting of sanctions.
He also accused the "Israeli lobby" for being responsible for US hostility towards Iran.
Rouhani is looking to rebuild Iranian relations with the West some two weeks after financial sanctions on Tehran were rolled back following the implementation of its nuclear deal with world powers.
"Iran does not just want trade, but also investment and technology," he said.
He rejected accusations by many Western nations that Iran is funding various militant groups which they deem to be terrorist organisations.
"It is clear that Iran is a country opposed to terrorism and a country that fights terrorism," he said.


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To those of you who are/were part of poolsolutions, there is a pray request over there for watermom, so if you are a prayer please pray for her
To those of you who are/were part of poolsolutions, there is a pray request over there for watermom, so if you are a prayer please pray for her
27' Round AG, 17,200 gallons, sand filter
As one of the long-time moderators at PoolForum, I'd like to confirm that my fellow mod and friend, Lisa, better known as Watermom, just had breast cancer surgery yesterday. It is a particularly aggressive form and they had to go back in and take more. Now she and her family wait to see if they got it. If not, by the end of the week they'll be doing more surgery, and the third round (if necessary) with be a mastectomy. In any case it will be followed up by chemo and radiation. Luckily, Lisa is getting the best care to be had in West Virginia and breast cancer presents the oncologists with lots of options by which to attack the disease.
Watermom is a young woman, a school teacher and has 3 young children, the youngest around 10 or 11. She and another of our PoolForum mods, Al, aka, Poconos, just dropped in one afternoon a while back just to say hello. I had never met either of them and we spent the afternoon in my pool and by it having a grand time. We still have not met our fourth mod, Janet, aka, aylad, because she's in Louisiana, a bit too far. Al's in Pa, Lisa's in WV, and I'm in NJ.
We hope all of you will wish Lisa and her family all the best and that she's soon back in her pool with her family, and back on our board helping people with their pools backyards and even families.
If you are a praying person, please say a prayer for her. She's a good person and a fine friend. There are SO many people at PoolForum she has helped, and I'm sure a number of them are active here at TFP as well.
Thanks to you all.
Stay ahead of your water!
My prayers are with her
33' Aqua-Leader AGP
Hayward cartridge filter and IntelliFlo VS pump.
Solar Heat coming ; used to own Aqua-Cal HeatWave 100k (HeatPump)
Aqua-Rite t-15 SWG
OMG, that is so aweful. I will be praying for Lisa. I am a 10 year survivor of BC and had very young children (4 & 7) at the time so I can really empathise! I will have to pop in over there and give her my best wishes. Things have gotten so much better for treatment options since mine -
18x33x52 Buttressfree Seaspray (Wilbar) AGP - 1.5hp Pentair Maxim w/22" Pentair Meteor Sand Filter, Aqua Rite SWG System, Biltmore Walk In Steps - 2/4x20 Solar Panel Setup - Doheny Jet Drive (RIP -Pool Rover Jr) - finally hard plumbed the whole darned thing -
Beats Driving to the Lake!
Oh no thats aweful I will definately be praying for her. I hope they get it all and she is on the fast road to recovery very soon. Thanks for letting us know.
*~ Laura ~*
27x52 Aquasphere Conquest AGP (approx.17,100 gal)
1 HP Pentair Dynamo Pump & SD-40 Sand Filter
TF-100 Test Kit
BBB User- Salt Added
Lisa has asked that someone from PF who's registered here at TFP (she is not) pass on her deepest thanks to all you who have sent her your good wishes and prayers.
So as one of those closest to her at PF I'm passing her message along:
We, the other moderators at PoolForum, also want to thank you all for your good wishes on Lisa's behalf.Just a quick note to say thanks to all who have posted and offered good wishes and prayers. I am home recovering from surgery. Rather sore, but not excruciating pain by any means. I certainly appreciate everybody here who has taken the time to respond to Al's post. We will keep everyone posted. Hopefully, the news we get next week will be positive. Thanks again to all of you. BTW: I have not yet registered at TFP, but know that there are people there also who have offered wishes and prayers. I would appreciate if someone could pass along my appreciation to those folks over there as well.
Stay ahead of your water!
I will add her to my families prayer list. We wish her well and a speedy recovery.
14x33 fiberglass freeform
Variable speed Pentair intelliflo superpump
420 Clean and Clear Plus cartridge filter.
pool-school/pool_calculator , http://www.tftestkits.net/
Many of you know me as one of the long time moderators at PoolForum and many of you have also popped over there and read of my recent diagnosis of breast cancer. I registered here at TFP this evening because I wanted to be able to say thank you to all of the people here who have offered good wishes and prayers for me. It is so very appreciated. I am one week post surgery and home recuperating. I will meet with the oncologist next week and then begin chemotherapy shortly thereafter. I would ask for continued prayers as I battle this disease. Thank you so much.
Definately Lisa! GOD BLESS YOU!! I hope everything goes well.Originally Posted by watermom
*~ Laura ~*
27x52 Aquasphere Conquest AGP (approx.17,100 gal)
1 HP Pentair Dynamo Pump & SD-40 Sand Filter
TF-100 Test Kit
BBB User- Salt Added
Welcome to TFP.Originally Posted by watermom
36 x 18 IG vinyl, 25K, 1 HP pump, sand filter
1 skimmer, 2 returns, no main drain
Old school: PoolSolutions test kit
Welcome Lisa and my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Things WILL get better - When I was in your position, I just took it one day at a time, allowed everyone to help if they offered (because it IS a blessing to have help from friends and family so you can concentrate on recovery) and remind yourself that this too shall pass. Cry when you feel like it, laugh at everything thats funny and go with the flow. God bless.
18x33x52 Buttressfree Seaspray (Wilbar) AGP - 1.5hp Pentair Maxim w/22" Pentair Meteor Sand Filter, Aqua Rite SWG System, Biltmore Walk In Steps - 2/4x20 Solar Panel Setup - Doheny Jet Drive (RIP -Pool Rover Jr) - finally hard plumbed the whole darned thing -
Beats Driving to the Lake!
Will pray for you and your family.
15x30x54 AGP, Hayward 1hp 2 spd pump, cartridge filter, Royal Entrance steps,Pool Rover Jr
Watermom, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your family, make you stronger, and give you the awesome comfort that only can be found in the Lord Jesus. We must lean on him during these times, give the burdens of the disease to Jesus to carry for you; he always will.
I only found the postings today at poolforum, and can not register there. I have used your great advise, Watermom, several times though. Take good care of yourself.
My little bit of Heaven :)
A/G, 13,050 gal, sand filter, vinyl liner
AquaVac Tiger Shark robotic cleaner
Thanks again for all the posts of good wishes and especially the prayers. I will be undergoing more tests this week to determine if the cancer has spread. (MRI of brain, CAT scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis) I would appreciate continued prayers that these scans come back clean and show no spread of the cancer. Thanks again so much.
Lisa / Watermom


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Planetarium - Infinity. 1971 Italy
Personal collection
CD: 1990 Vinyl Magic
An extremely rare album, though not as expensive as some of the more known Italian progressive rock classics, only because demand isn't as high. The album is housed in a textured single sleeve cover. Not that I've ever seen one mind you. This is an album I'd never even heard of when the CD hit the market 24 years ago. But I was encouraged to buy one immediately, and glad I did - though like all the old Vinyl Magic CDs, all you get is a straight reissue (but legal). Even though it's never been repressed, I believe you can still find new copies out there for the original retail price. I wouldn't wait forever though. This is one I would expect an LP reissue from BTF, as well as a Japanese mini-LP to emerge. But surprisingly, the old Vinyl Magic CD is all there is.
Skryvania - s/t. 1978 France
Personal collection
CD: 1990 Musea
An extremely rare album, the original run is said to be no more than 200 copies, and given the amount I've seen over the years, I would have to think that's probably true (I think these numbers are often higher than dealers like to let on - but not in this case). Musea was early to market with a CD, that comes with full historical notes (still using their old LP fonts) and bonus tracks, one of which is just as great as the album itself. This was one of Musea's earliest efforts, and already by 1990 they "did the needful" as my Indian friends like to say. I bought one immediately upon release, as the album had a great reputation even back then (and well deserved for the right type of listener).
Neo - s/t. 1980 France
Personal collection
CD: 1997 Musea
Apparently the idea with the Neo album is to change the colors with each release! The colors above are true, as I've owned the last two myself (though the Omega Studio version is more pinkish than the scan above). Originals on Prodisc are pretty scarce. Omega Studio is essentially Prodisc V 2.0, and was a neat little label in the mid 80s who issued on LP a few cool items from Wapassou, WLUD, Serge Bringholf, and this album. It was this version that introduced me to the album sometime in the late 1980s. Musea completed the reissue cycle with a fine CD, with detailed historical notes, and two good bonus tracks. Given the quality of the CD, I felt no need to hold onto the LP reissue. A decision I'd still make today.
Shub Niggurath - s/t. 1985 France
The original had only been released as a demo cassette prior to a small tour. The tape is incredibly obscure, and I didn't even know of its existence until doing research for the CDRWL. Soleil Zeuhl's CD reissue is excellent, and would be the only copy anyone would ever need, unless they insist on a vinyl copy.
Last listen: March 5, 2018
Dies Irae - First. 1971 Germany
Personal collection
CD: 1994 Ohrwaschl
Originals come in a fine gatefold, typical of the label. I traded for this album about 25 years ago, but it wasn't really to my taste then. And since I still had too much to acquire, I flipped it quickly for something more to my liking. I recently obtained the 1994 CD, after years of not thinking about the album at all. Like all Ohrwaschl releases, it's a very basic jewel box release with nothing but a copy of the original album. It is from the masters though, so it will suffice until something better comes along. The 2009 version is housed in a digi-pak, whereas the LP reissue replicates the original FOC.
Patrick Gauthier - Bebe Godzilla. 1981 France
Personal collection
CD: 1994 Seventh
Klockwerk Orange - Abrakadabra + Live at Stadtsaal Innsbruck. 1975 Austria (archival)
xtremely obscure progressive album from 1975 with 3 long tracks. Very Teutonic sounding, reminding me of similar era German groups such as Pancake, Madison Dyke and Minotaurus. The unique element at play here is the use of trumpet. So you get a little Tijuana Brass meets ELP. Gotta hear 'Tijuana Taxi' collide with 'Manticore'!
Concerning the archival Live at Stadtsaal Innsbruck - The first three tracks are new compositions not found on the actual LP, and demonstrates that Klockwerk Orange were rapidly becoming more ambitious as song composers. They also introduce an earlier progressive sound, as would be found on Pink Floyd's Meddle perhaps. The highlight track is 'Vlad Zeppesch', surely a tale about Dracula, which contains many twists and turns in an almost Italian progressive rock style. Only downfall is of course the sound quality, which is of high bootleg standard. But it's good enough, and we'll take what we can get. One can only wish they had the time to lay these tracks down in a studio. Or that they reform ala Necronomicon and Alphataurus, and finish the job they started nearly 40 years ago.
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2013 Digatone
As long as I've been collecting, Klockwerk's Orange sole album has always been rare and expensive, frequently changing hands for over $800 (& more). As such, I had it on a curiosity list for as long as I've been making such lists (since the 1980s). But it wasn't until about 8 years ago I finally received a copy via CD-R, and then quickly entered it into to the CDRWL. Then out of the blue last year, a new label from Austria debuted their reissue catalog with this album! At first I was skeptical and did all sorts of background checks, suspecting a bootleg. But as we know now, that is not the case, and Digatone are fully entrenched as Austria's new bright light for quality legitimate reissues, especially given their recent release of Isaiah, an album we've already featured here on the UMR. Without a doubt, the way to go here is the 2 LP reissue (a wonderful high quality gatefold) that also includes a CD in a simple slip case. The second LP is a formerly unreleased 1975 concert known as Live at Stadtsaal Innsbruck. If you want the full concert, you'll have to obtain the LP reissue, as the (Digatone) CD only contains 3 of the 5 tracks. (Both Bas and Achim have correctly smacked me upside the head: Japan's Belle Antique has both albums in full on a 2 CD set - I knew that too. D'oh!)
Concerning the archival Live at Stadtsaal Innsbruck - The first three tracks are new compositions not found on the actual LP, and demonstrates that Klockwerk Orange were rapidly becoming more ambitious as song composers. They also introduce an earlier progressive sound, as would be found on Pink Floyd's Meddle perhaps. The highlight track is 'Vlad Zeppesch', surely a tale about Dracula, which contains many twists and turns in an almost Italian progressive rock style. Only downfall is of course the sound quality, which is of high bootleg standard. But it's good enough, and we'll take what we can get. One can only wish they had the time to lay these tracks down in a studio. Or that they reform ala Necronomicon and Alphataurus, and finish the job they started nearly 40 years ago.
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2013 Digatone
As long as I've been collecting, Klockwerk's Orange sole album has always been rare and expensive, frequently changing hands for over $800 (& more). As such, I had it on a curiosity list for as long as I've been making such lists (since the 1980s). But it wasn't until about 8 years ago I finally received a copy via CD-R, and then quickly entered it into to the CDRWL. Then out of the blue last year, a new label from Austria debuted their reissue catalog with this album! At first I was skeptical and did all sorts of background checks, suspecting a bootleg. But as we know now, that is not the case, and Digatone are fully entrenched as Austria's new bright light for quality legitimate reissues, especially given their recent release of Isaiah, an album we've already featured here on the UMR. Without a doubt, the way to go here is the 2 LP reissue (a wonderful high quality gatefold) that also includes a CD in a simple slip case. The second LP is a formerly unreleased 1975 concert known as Live at Stadtsaal Innsbruck. If you want the full concert, you'll have to obtain the LP reissue, as the (Digatone) CD only contains 3 of the 5 tracks. (Both Bas and Achim have correctly smacked me upside the head: Japan's Belle Antique has both albums in full on a 2 CD set - I knew that too. D'oh!)
Altona - s/t. 1975 Germany
Personal collection
CD: 2000 Disconforme (Andorra)
The original LP features an interesting contemporary single sleeve cover with manikins mocking American bus tourists (stereotyping of course) visiting the Hamburg section/town of... Altona. There is a promo version that comes with a huge poster. I first bought this album in the early 90s from a record show, but I wasn't as keen on the German jazz fusion sound as I am today. I sold the LP 20 years ago, and hadn't thought much about it until I recently scored the CD. The CD itself comes from a vinyl transfer, and could benefit from a new remaster. The liner notes appear to be translations of German newspaper articles that were added. Overall, the reissue will suffice, though I may pickup an original again if I run into one at a reasonable price.
Spontaneous Combustion - s/t + Triad. 1972 England
Personal collection
CD: 2012 Esoteric (2 copies - a separate one for each album)
These two albums are inextricably linked to each other it appears. The debut features a fine gatefold cover and cool cartoon artwork. Of course the US version had to be altered to look worse (second photo), not to mention the easy-to-get-ringwear type cardboard cover. Triad fortunately maintained the original artwork in the US, though once again with cheaper materials. The Esoteric CDs are great as usual, with detailed liner notes, and bonus tracks for each (more on Triad than the debut).
Fermata - s/t + Pieseň z Hôľ. 1975; 1977 Slovakia
Pieseň z Hôľ sees Fermata taking the debut and amping it up a bit. A little bit more diverse this go round from a compositional perspective, but difficult to imagine fans of the debut - or of the hard hitting Mahavishnu Orchestra styled progressive fusion - being disappointed here. And 'Priadky' has one of those kind of hard driving bass riffs you're not likely to forget soon. What a groove. Great guitar and keyboard work as expected. Another splendid album from Slovakia's finest.
Personal collection
CD: 1997 Bonton
When I started collecting in earnest in the middle 1980s, one of the best points of entry was Eastern Europe. This is because the albums could still be had for a low price, especially fusion albums from Poland, Hungary, and the former Czechoslovakia. I know many bemoan the digitization of music, but if there was ever a region that the CD benefited most, it was the former Eastern Bloc. The final vinyl product usually was a disaster (cheap materials), but as we've come to find out, the recordings themselves were usually of a very high quality, and the master tapes all carefully stored by the State. So I quickly moved the LPs out once the first CD hit the market (3rd image). Unfortunately this CD compilation leaves off the 11 minute track 'Perpetuum III' from the first album. The 1999 CD of Dunajská Legenda does include this piece. And that's the way I own the first album as a whole. Not ideal for sure. All of the second album is here though. Apparently the 2009 CD (last image) is a 2 CD set that fixes this issue, but I haven't seen or heard it myself. As indicated prior, the sound quality of the first CD is fantastic - much better than any original vinyl of these titles.
Zakarrias - s/t. 1971 England
Personal collection
CD: 2010 Cherry Red
This is one of the real biggies, and originals are truly scarce, with demand extremely high. Originals usually sell for well over $1K and have sold for as much as $3,500 (within the last year). Why anyone would pay that much for a good, not great, album with a single sleeve cover that looks like Howard Stern is anyone's guess. I'm kidding of course. Certainly I understand the collecting mentality, and for those who want every UK Deram release, this album will prove to be an obstacle. I didn't hear Zakarrias myself until about a decade ago, and only via a CD-R someone sent me, as even the first Japanese CD was extinct by that time. The Cherry Red CD is the definitive version to own. From the master tapes, with a much needed history to tell (see notes below). Cherry Red is the parent of Esoteric, and the material is similar to what Esoteric would normally reissue, so not sure why it wasn't to be honest.
Poobah - U.S. Rock. 1976 USA
Personal collection
CD: 2014 Ripple
The easiest to find and least expensive of the 3 original 70s Poobah albums. As one can see, it features a ridiculous cover, and one presumes it's honoring or making fun of the US Bicentennial that was all the rage in 1976. The CD is excellent, as is usual for Ripple. I had to laugh at the photos, which reminded me of my own high school's yearbook! There are an additional 23 minutes of fine live material added as bonus tracks. Still no liner notes though, which is a pity.
Probe 10 - There is a Universe. 1975 USA
Personal collection
LP: 1975 Blue Universe
CD: 2014 Lion Productions
Where to even start? I first heard about this album from a rarities catalog in the late 1980s, and it wouldn't be until about 2007 or so until I finally heard a copy via CD-R. It was rare in 1988, and it never became an affordable item. Almost all ebay auctions to date have netted between $500 and $800 for an original (some sealed). I featured this album extensively on the CDRWL and I wrote a rather "outside" review of it in 2007, which I then published on this UMR site. Despite what it might read like, I wrote it sober as a judge during my lunch break at work (can't say that about all my reviews :-) ). It was this review that got me in touch with band leader Jim McGee, and that lead to virtual introductions to Vincent at Lion. And from there, those guys did all the heavy lifting that lead to this wonderful reissue. While awaiting the reissue, I was offered an original LP at a very fair price - not cheap by any means - but much lower than going rates and I nailed it quickly. I rarely pay high dollar for albums, but this one is special I feel. As for the reissues, I picked up the CD as fast as possible. Housed in a Japanese styled mini-LP, with a booklet that contains a full history from Jim McGee and fellow band member Buzz Bachman, and the best possible sound. There are also 5 short bonus tracks that are similar in style. Without question, this is the definitive version to own. I presume the LP to be of similar quality, but since I do have the original, I haven't investigated further.
Isaiah - s/t. 1975 Austria
this version of the band is far more bluesy than the album proper, though no less enjoyable. Very interesting group, that fits well with their German contemporaries (like a cross between Birth Control, Nosferatu, and Bullfrog), but I can't think of a similar Austrian band! While there are certainly better albums in the field, I still recommend Isaiah to fans of the genre.
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2014 Digatone
Originals are very rare and typically sell in the $300-$500 range. For years, this title was mired in the pirate world, until Digatone came to the rescue this year. In short order, Digatone have become the premier indigenous label for Austrian progressive and underground rock. The LP reissue is a 2 vinyl set that also includes a full album's worth of unique material in studio quality. The second LP had previously been reissued as a bootleg under the title of "Forgotten Records" with some slight alterations. In addition to the extra album, there are full liner notes and a CD featuring both albums. Without question, this is the de facto version to own!
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2014 Digatone
Originals are very rare and typically sell in the $300-$500 range. For years, this title was mired in the pirate world, until Digatone came to the rescue this year. In short order, Digatone have become the premier indigenous label for Austrian progressive and underground rock. The LP reissue is a 2 vinyl set that also includes a full album's worth of unique material in studio quality. The second LP had previously been reissued as a bootleg under the title of "Forgotten Records" with some slight alterations. In addition to the extra album, there are full liner notes and a CD featuring both albums. Without question, this is the de facto version to own!
Braen's Machine - Underground. 1971 Italy
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2014 Schema
Almost precisely the same scenario as yesterday's The Feed-Back album. Originals are off the charts rare, fetching in the $1K range. So Milan's Schema has come to the rescue again, and reissued the album on CD and LP (with a CD as a bonus). And once again I picked up the LP/CD package for a few dollars more. Don't miss these reissues! And the sound is fantastic (most assuredly from the masters), and the liner notes this time are in English providing much needed detail behind this extraordinary work. And via this reissue we learn none other than Rino de Filippi is responsible for the contents within (along with Alessandro Alessandroni and a full set of studio musicians at the ready). CDRWL regulars will recall De Filippi was behind one of the greatest mysteries on the site until it was cleared up by Italian Prog expert Augusto Croce. It's great to be able to unwind all of these identities some 43 years later!
The Group (Gruppo d'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza) - The Feed-Back. 1970 Italy
Personal collection
LP+CD: 2014 Schema
This is an album I never heard of until I started doing serious research for the CDRWL a few years ago. Originals (like the photo above) will set you back... oh.... say $1,500+. Pocket change right? So for the rest of us, it was with great pleasure to see that the Milan based label Schema has come through with both LP and CD reissues of this extremely rare classic. Since it only costs a few extra dollars, I went for the LP that comes with the CD. Definitely score this one while it's still available.
Fireballet - Night on Bald Mountain + Two, Too. 1975-76 USA
Two, Too: Perhaps predictable in retrospect, Fireballet scrubbed all the edges off their first album for an even more accessible second effort. Yet, it's really as progressive as the debut, minus the overt displays of grandeur. Tighter... more professional. As stated about Night on Bald Mountain, Fireballet have the sound of Midwest America down pat (despite their Jersey roots) - one that combines progressive rock with FM radio sensibilities. Interestingly enough, Fireballet's "commercial take on Yes" approach sounds like early Starcastle here - so once again we have parallel groups gathering similar data inputs, and spitting out a similar conclusion. For me, perhaps because I was a child within the generation, this type of music grows in stature with me as the years go by. The ridiculous original cover no doubt shaved one full star from this album for many folks right out of the gate. The band was smart enough to apply more appropriate art for the CD. Give this one a fresh pair of ears - you may be surprised. There's only one bonus track on the Inner Knot release 'In My Craft and Sullen Art / Mars' which is a (short) interpretation of the Holst classic. It's a live recording, from the same 1974 concert as the 'Pictures of a City' interpretation as found on the debut CD reissue. The Arcangelo CD adds 'Tears', a track I'm not familiar with.
Personal Collection
LP (Night on Bald Mountain): 1975 Passport
CD (Night on Bald Mountain): 2014 Inner Knot
CD (Two, Too): 2014 Inner Knot
Both albums are single covers and are common records in the US, often still found in the few used record stores that exist. With the smallest of searching you should be able to net one for under $10 - and less than $5 with a little more hustle. So one would presume LP reissues will never be needed. But on CD - now that has proven to be a challenge. Until finally this year, as announced on the CDRWL, we finally have legit CDs to buy and own, after years of watching pirate editions fly by. It's even more curious when you realize that band member Jim Cuomo is still heavily involved with the music industry. We first heard about the Japanese reissues, and while I haven't seen these, they each feature one extra bonus track not found on the US issues. The CDs are stored in a digipak, and each are adorned with embossed covers, which is a nice addition. As you can see, the second album has been redesigned (3rd scan), tastefully extracted and repurposed from the Night... cover. And who can blame them given the ridiculous original cover (second photo)? I'm sure it seemed funny at the time (to someone?), but it hasn't aged well. For purists, the Japanese CD, as is their protocol for mini-LPs, reissued the CD with the original cover. Each CD includes the lyrics and recording detail, but no history or other archival media, which is kind of a bummer. It would have been nice for them to spin their tale of woe (perhaps with some added humor) for us all. The sound is very good to my ears anyway. Good CD reissues, but perhaps they could have done a bit more. Don't want to complain though - it's way better than nothing - and certainly a step up from what you would get from Wounded Bird for example.
Klan - Mrowisko. 1971 Poland
Personal collection
CD: 2008 Metal Mind
One of only a handful of gatefold albums coming from the Eastern Bloc. It's still super thin (based on what I've read), but this kind of luxury item was typically frowned upon by the State. My introduction was the '87 reissue that I bought right around release time, originally coming out near the end of the regime, though now housed in a single sleeve. I quickly ditched this cheaply made reissue vinyl for the first CD to hit the market (1991 Digiton). The Digiton release is fine, and certainly suffices as the only copy anyone would ever need - especially considering it includes the sought after 1970 EP as bonus tracks. I had no intention of buying this album again, but I recently had a chance to source the lavish double CD on the fine Polish label Metal Mind for an attractive price. It comes with a full booklet with lyrics and extensive liner notes (mostly in Polish though). The extra CD only contains the 11+ minute EP and seems a bit wasteful (ironic isn't it?) considering both albums combined total only 50 minutes. I didn't really need to upgrade in this case. Interesting to note that the old state label Muza is still alive an kicking. Glad they were able to transition to Capitalism successfully it appears. I haven't seen or heard their two CD versions of the album. (Also be sure to read the comments where UMR friend Bas offers up even more CD info regarding this landmark album).
Blackbirds - Touch of Music. 1971 Germany
Personal collection
CD: 2005 Long Hair
Long Hair is the only label to step up on the reissue front, and they did a fine job on the CD, adding full liners, great sound, photos, and two bonus tracks from a rare 1970 single. I suspect the reissue LP to be similar (except it only features one bonus track).
Steve Linnegar's Snakeshed - Classic Epics. 1982 South Africa
Personal collection
CD: 2014 Guerssen (Spain)
Originals come in a gatefold sleeve. Albums coming from South Africa are hard enough to find, but privately pressed ones are even that much more difficult. I was first sent a cassette of this album in the late 90s, and I've had it in the CDRWL since its inception. And as first reported on that site, via Linnegar's sister Diane, we learned of these Guerssen reissues. The album sounds great (from the master tapes) - much better than my old cassette which came from the crappy bootleg LP I'm sure. The album features a detailed review from Acid Archives contributor Aaron Milenski, as well as the full set of lyrics, newspaper clippings, and photos. The LP reissue, it appears, replicates the original in every way. Don't miss these reissues if there's any interest at all in this album.
Opus III & Friends - s/t. 1970 Sweden
Personal collection
LP: 2013 Sonet / Universal
Very rare album that is stored in a basic single sleeve cover. This has been part of my CDRWL for over 4 years now, ever since The AC fed me a copy. So you can imagine my surprise when I found 2 sealed copies of the LP in a local record store recently (!?!?!). I go record hunting locally about.. ohhh.. once a year maybe? And I look for common $5 stuff that I don't feel like mail ordering because of postage costs. But Opus III? I had no idea it had been reissued in any form. The LP reissue is straight up - not even one hint of an extra, liner notes - or anything for that matter. But it is absolutely from the masters (sounds great), comes in a limited release of a 1000, and even uses the original Sonet orange and purple trumpet label. 100% legit release for the skeptical out there (and none are more so than I). However, it stays in the CDRWL as there is still no CD.
Dakila - s/t. 1972 USA/Philippines
especially Chango. Other reference points would be Macondo, Pantha, The Antiques, Naked Lunch, Azteca, and Broth. Absolutely killer stuff.
Personal collection
LP: 1972 Epic
Single sleeve major label cover that lends itself easily to ring and shelf wear, like the cover above (and my personal copy is this way too - I bought it in a local store well over 20 years ago for about a $1 and never bothered to upgrade). No legit CDs have surfaced, which is a real tragedy, and thus has been a standard feature on my CDRWL.
Personal collection
LP: 1972 Epic
Single sleeve major label cover that lends itself easily to ring and shelf wear, like the cover above (and my personal copy is this way too - I bought it in a local store well over 20 years ago for about a $1 and never bothered to upgrade). No legit CDs have surfaced, which is a real tragedy, and thus has been a standard feature on my CDRWL.
Fusion Orchestra - Skeleton in Armour. 1973 England
Post Psychedelic, Proto Progressive with Female Vocals sound, as I've documented via the link provided. Fusion Orchestra are a spirited bunch, and the music borders hard rock, with blazing heavy psych guitar at every turn (with some great solos). There's also a jazz undercurrent, and Jill Saward's voice (and she plays a mean flute too) is husky in that blues sort of way that was popular at the turn of the decade. This is one of the most kinetic albums of the genre, with multiple fast paced meter shifts and a wealth of ideas, and no fan of any of the genres mentioned above will walk away disappointed here. Jill Saward was just a cute teenager when she joined the band in the early 70s. Later she went onto be the professional blond bombshell leading the slick, and very popular, 80s jazz funk band Shakatak.
Personal collection
CD: 2009 EMI (Japan)
UK originals come in a wonderful textured gatefold (first photo). As with a few of my albums, I actually found a new original LP copy at a local record store here in Dallas in the mid 1980s. I almost didn't buy it because of the unrepresentative name of the band. But as fortune would have it, I gave up a dinner that night, and now still proudly own that copy. As for reissues, they have been the sole proprietorship of the Asian market. Not sure why this album hasn't been treated to a UK specialist label like Esoteric with full liner notes, but these Asian reissues will suffice until then. The Japanese mini-LP I own is a perfect reproduction of the original in miniature.
Steve Maxwell von Braund - Monster Planet. 1975 Australia
Personal collection
LP: 1975 Clear Light of Jupiter
CD: 2013 Aztec
The album was pressed in a quantity of about 2000. Braund wasn't too keen on the cover design (nor the von designation), and so he had approximately 500 of the albums reprinted with a more favorable cover (to him at least), and that's the second photo you see (and the liner notes of the CD go into great detail about the issues surrounding the cover). So convincing was the German styled cover design, that when I first read about the album from a catalog in the mid 1980s, it was simply listed as Monster Planet on the Cosmic Couriers label. For many years, dealers told me such an album didn't exist. And finally the puzzle was resolved for me, and eventually I bought the LP about a decade later (original cover). Then a few years ago, it was announced that Aztec would reissue the album on CD, following on their successful reprinting of Cybotron's Implosion. Shortly after that, Aztec went bankrupt, and it appeared the opportunity had been lost. But as announced on the CDRWL, Aztec reemerged, though in a somewhat confused state. Both the Aztec and Dual Planet reissues replicate the original cover (this presumes, then, that Braund has reconciled with it). The CD also features a very telling 14 minute radio interview from back then. I did have to admit wondering why Aztec would reissue such an obscure album, especially after falling into financial trouble. And the answer is provided in the extremely informative liner notes: Label head Gil Matthews plays bass and drums on the album!
Irish Coffee - s/t. 1971 Belgium
Personal collection
CD: 2007 Thors Hammer / Garden of Delights (Germany)
My first taste of the album, along with dozens of other people I'm sure, came via the Voodoo CD reissue which I picked up sometime in the 90s. Over the years, this reissue had been tagged a pirate edition, but I was pretty certain it was legit. And sure enough, the band themselves reissued it in a limited edition (Voodoo was an early name for the band). It featured 7 bonus tracks and a small history. Naturally it vanished into various collections over the years, and the bootleggers hit the market hard. Fortunately Garden of Delights came to the rescue (under their non-German Thors Hammer moniker), and this is the de facto reissue. Full historical liner notes, new photos, scans of all their singles (and all 7 extra singles are here as bonus tracks), and great sound. Here we learn of the authenticity of the original CD (but points out one glaring recording error), as well as confirming the original LP release date as July 1971 (I still see 1972 appended on some discographies).
Light Year - Reveal the Fantastic. 1974 USA (archival)
An extraordinary find, Light Year were a band from San Francisco circa 1974 that played a cross between heavy fusion and progressive rock, with dominant female vocals. To me it sounds like the Belgian band Cos playing the music of Mahavishnu Orchestra! Yes... I'm serious - Pascale Son fronting John McLaughlin and crew. A 6 piece of guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals, and percussion (much of it tuned). Mixing a Bay Area band with an additional percussionist will call to mind who? Yes, that's right, Santana. And guitarist Randy Sellgren certainly possesses that hyper kinetic electric technique of Mahavishnu John meets Carlos type sound. The music is jazz oriented, but with ferocious rock segments, in the same manner as Santana's "Lotus". And the final track, clocking in at a whopping 20:20, has a distinct space rock element - propelling the album to its greatest height.
And the story doesn't end there. And this is perhaps the most fascinating aspect for me; the liner notes don't mention it. And there's only one reference to it on the label's home page. And (lots of ands on this one...) this is how I discovered it in the first place: I recently bought a second LP copy of Mingo Lewis' "Flight Never Ending" which I have listed in the CDRWL. This copy, however, included a promotional insert, where it says (typing it out literally): "Mingo's band lingo (sic) is a tight, young outfit: Drummer Dave Logemen (22), bassist Eric McCann (17), plus the remains of another San Francisco band called Light Year which includes guitarist Randy Sellgren, synthesizer specialist Michael Kapitan, and keyboardist Kincaid Miller." The latter two are not mentioned in the CD liner notes (Mingo's album came out two years later) - but then again, neither is Mingo Lewis. Holy smokes - who knew??
This album is absolutely essential.
Personal collection
CD: 2010 Green Tree (Germany)
The CD comes in a nice digipak and features newly written liner notes (from 3 of the members), lyrics, and photos. The sound is excellent. The LP is a gatefold, though I haven't possessed one myself. I know that Green Tree has a somewhat checkered past, but this one is clearly legit, and a superb archival album. Buy this one before it gets away. Special thanks is given to Doug Larson, who I presume had something to do with this release.
L'Orchestre Sympathique - En Concert a la Grande Passe. 1979 Canada
Personal collection
CD: 2005 ProgQuebec
Original LP is a single sleeve cover. The album was included in their concert pricing - a novel idea that helped fund the project. It's only been in the last couple of years that I was first introduced to the album. The CD features liner notes and wonderful sound like all of ProgQuebec's product.
Madder Lake - Stillpoint. 1973 Australia
Personal collection
LP: 1973 Mushroom
CD: 2008 Aztec
Originals come in a nice rough paper, non-laminated gatefold. Of historical interest, this was the first album on the Mushroom label, and was more or less created by the manager of Madder Lake. And of personal historical interest, this was the first album I ever bought on ebay in the late 90s. Such an odd choice, but it remains the fact. The fantastic Aztec reissue comes with 8 bonus tracks. I've spoken at length already about how great these Aztec reissues are, so I'll stop here.
Mackenzie Theory - Out of the Blue. 1973 Australia
Personal collection
CD: 2009 Aztec
Originals on Mushroom come in a fine gatefold. My first exposure to the album goes back to the first CD pressed over 20 years ago. The original label was still around at that point (ultimately being rolled up into the Festival brand and is now defunct), and this was sold as a "budget CD". So it's a straight transfer, right off the masters, but has little else to offer. As is often the case for me, I waited too long to replace it with the Aztec reissue, and then when the company was announced to have gone kaput, I knew I missed my chance. But the company resurfaced and their version of the CD, like all of Aztec's reissues, is magnificent. Comes in their usual tri-fold digipak complete with copious/insightful liner notes, photos, a much improved sound, and one smoking hot bonus live track. I'd like to eventually pick up the original at some point, but it's not a top priority.
The Plastic Cloud - s/t. 1968 Canada
Personal collection
CD: 1990 Laser's Edge (USA)
LP: 1999 Void (USA)
The original is a single sleeve cover with insert. Original copies can get way up there, and frequently sell for well over $1K. My original discovery came via a new upstart label called The Laser's Edge way back in 1990. I'd never heard of the group, and I was myself only in about Year 3 of having disposable income for buying albums when I felt like it. So I took a chance, and was rewarded in a big way from a music perspective. The CD comes with a fold out insert and replicates the original liner notes. Many years later I picked up the Void LP reissue - and it's probably superfluous to own this version given it's a straight reissue with the same original insert. But since it's such a favorite album of mine, it's nice to have a vinyl copy - especially since originals are pretty much out of reach. The Lion reissues include - according to their website - "The accompanying twenty-page booklet has all the lyrics, thanks to Don Brewer, the man who wrote them, as well as rare photos and a replica of an original press release that must be seen to be believed". And their edition of the LP is a gatefold.
Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera - Knirsch. 1972 Germany
Personal collection
Knirsch comes in a mighty fine thick and sturdy gatefold, and as with every MPS album, is pressed on excellent vinyl. I bought my personal original LP copy on ebay about 15 years ago and added it to the CDRWL immediately. Dauner's albums are being reissued slowly, and on different labels, so it was with great delight that a new label HGBS (which stands for original MPS founder Hans Georg Brunner-Schweremerged) reissued Knirsch on CD. And so I purchased one as soon as it became available. It comes in a nice digi-pak and sounds fantastic (surely from the masters). Unfortunately there are no historical liner notes or bonus tracks.
Poliphony - s/t. 1973 England
Personal collection
CD: 2012 Audio Archives
Housed in a standard single sleeve, and looking all the studio jam session album that it purports to be. My introduction to the album was about a decade ago while visiting Heavyrock's house. And he was kind enough to burn the LP onto CD-R for me for the ride back home. The recent CD reissue on Audio Archives definitely took me by surprise, as I would suspect demand to be very low. It's a fine reissue with very good sound (I suspect a vinyl transcription, but well done), with unique liner notes and clear participation from the band. Audio Archives decided to change the color from the original beige to a pinkish hue - perhaps to its advantage.
The Mandrake Memorial - s/t + Medium + Puzzle. 1968-1969 USA
Medium: Side 1 sees The Mandrake Memorial taking a step back as they try to define their sound to a finer point. There's more of a downer folk blues sound going on, though its still psych based, and there's phasing and fuzz guitar here, along with the prevailing electric harpsichord. Side 2 definitely takes the straightjacket off, and the band spreads their wings further into longer compositions and creative instrumentals - peaking on the 6 minute instrumental 'Barnaby Plum'. A mixed album, with a much greater discrepancy - both at the top and from the bottom.
Puzzle: Side 2 of Medium was a harbinger of things to come for The Mandrake Memorial. Gone is the trademark electric harpsichord and its place is the guitar trio - with a fully staffed choir and orchestra in tow. The conventional psychedelic songs are undoubtedly The Mandrake Memorial of the first two albums, but the other tracks show the band pushing the boundaries of rock into exciting new directions, oddly reminding me some of Pink Floyd's 'Atom Heart Mother' suite that had yet to appear. Guitarist Craig Anderton's growing interest in electronics is given a test drive on 'Bucket of Air' - a splendid display of proto Kosmiche Krautrock if there ever was one. Overall, it's definitely an experimental record, and one that did not result in commercial success for the band. The subsequent 45 single sees The Mandrake Memorial heading back towards the middle - not sure where else they could have gone honestly - and then decided to hang it up, having accomplished a great deal in only 2 short years.
Personal collection
CD (The Mandrake Memorial): 1996 Collectibles
CD (Medium): 1996 Collectibles
CD (Puzzle): 1996 Collectibles
The first album is housed in a standard thick single sleeve, whereas the other two are gatefolds. And, if you're lucky, you might find the circular insert for Puzzle. I first bought the debut LP almost 25 years ago, appropriately enough, while in Philadelphia. I replaced that, and picked up the others, as soon as the CDs hit the market in the mid/late 90s. The debut sold well (over 100,000 copies according to the CD liner notes), especially within the local Northeast Philly/NYC/Boston market, and thus finding an original isn't too hard. Puzzle features a fetching Escher cover (House of Stairs from 1951), and comes with a cool insert. All 3 CDs feature full liner notes (the same liner notes for each unfortunately, though Puzzle adds in the original liners which are in Dutch and likely come from Escher himself). Puzzle comes with both sides of their final 45 single as a bonus, though they inexplicably "colored in" the Escher sketch (who knows why?). All of these are taken from vinyl copies, and only the debut sounds decent. I think they could have done a better job, though it didn't bother me much until I heard them intently with headphones. Watch out carefully for pirate editions, as they have proliferated the marketplace.
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Skywhale - The World at Mind's End. 1977 England
Skywhale's sole album is one of the rare non-Canterbury UK fusion albums that sound more in line with what was happening over the Chan...
Yokota was the flutist on the Love Live Life + 1 album (I always presumed he was the "+ 1" but I'm not sure of that). He was ...
Skywhale's sole album is one of the rare non-Canterbury UK fusion albums that sound more in line with what was happening over the Chan...
The Freeborne represents some of the finest songwriting of the 60s psychedelic movement. There's echoes of the Doors, but in general, ...
My original review is here, and I'll leave it up . It is interesting to note that the band does indeed credit Return to Forever ...
As with Magic is a Child, I hadn't actually heard Down to Earth until now. Or I probably did in snippets and walked away in disgust....
Well... now. I think we have something here, don't we? I never heard of Reggie Lucas prior, but seeing he's the guitarist in the g...
Epitaph were a German heavy rock band, typical of the 1971 genre, with a UK vocalist in tow which is always a plus (if persisting with th...
Cosmic Debris were a band from Oklahoma City that married electronic sequencer based music with rock instrumentation such as guitar and ...
Both albums by the French band Murder in the Cathedral are fine examples of the sort of neo psych Nick Saloman has been pushing all these ...
Poobah are perhaps the best example of the hard working, musically competent – but unsigned – 1970s Midwest rock group. Hailing from Young...


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