Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts - 'Second Song'

 

'Second Song' was recorded at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, in early 2026.  It was produced by iconic producer Lou Adler and "The Volume Dealers" (the production duo of Neil Young and Niko Bolas), and released on the Reprise Records label on September 18, 2026 (Yesterday)

This is Uncle Neil's 50th studio album, and his second studio recording with his latest backing band, The Chrome Hearts.  It consists of seven songs: five entirely new compositions, alongside two resurrected archival pieces originally written during Young's teenager years in Canada. 

Along with lead vocals, Neil plays acoustic & electric guitars, piano, harmonica, vibes, mellotron and marxophone (a rare, fretless zither).
The Chrome Hearts are:
Micah Nelson on electric guitar, dulcimer and vocals. 
Spooner Oldham on Hammond B3 organ, Farfisa organ, pump organ, piano, mellotron and vibes. 
Corey McCormick on bass (upright and electric), and vocals. 
Anthony LoGerfo: Drums, wave drum, percussion and vocals.

Tracklist
1. The Foggy Edge of Time
2. Day After Day
3. Earth Girl
4. Second Song
(An epic title track running nearly 11.5 minutes)
5. Casting Me Away From You
(Originally captured as a home recording in 1965 in a friend's attic in Toronto, Canada. Young later reworked its melody into the instrumental track "The Emperor of Wyoming" for his 1969 debut album.)
6. Soon I Might Be Going
7. I’ll Love You Forever
(a 1964 surf-tinged love song written for his high school girlfriend)

The album's two archival tracks not withstanding, 'Second Song' reminds me musically of 'Comes A Time' and 'Prairie Wind'.  The main themes of the songs deal with memory, mortality, and looking back from the vantage point of an 80-year-old.  This is an album for people who have "been around the block".

The freeload is Hi-Res 24bit/192kHz, and how your Uncle Neil prefers you listen to it.  It sounds pretty sweet . . .

For the freeload, let's try something new, will the first regular poster (you know who you are) to see this post, please ask "the question du jour".

Muddy Waters - 'At Newport 1960' (2026 Acoustic Sounds Remaster)

 

'At Newport 1960' was recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 3, 1960.  It was produced by Leonard Chess, and released on the Chess Records label, November 15, 1960.

This is one of the first, if not the first live blues album, and stands among the most culturally influential recordings of the 20th century.  This recording is about as classic as it gets.

The first time I heard first 'At Newport 1960' was late one night in 1964 during my senior year of high school.  That night, I couldn't sleep, so I was listening to my transistor radio that was under my pillow, so my parents wouldn't be able to hear it in the next room.  So, why couldn't I sleep, you ask? In a word: Dexamyl, which was a mix of amphetamine and barbiturate, that we called "Greenies".  Denise "The Grease" used to steal them from her mother who had a prescription for them.

Back in '64, at least in my world, weed had a bad reputation, and we were afraid of it.  Beer and cheap wine were popular, as was the paper inside a Benzedrine inhaler.  The problem was, alcohol was easily detected by our parents (and sometimes made us "puke"), and "Bennies" paper made us too jittery, but Dexamyl was the perfect weekend buzz.

My two favorite late night radio stations at the time were WWRL "The Big RL" and WLIB, both stations' target audience was African Americans in New York City.  WLIB was a jazz station, and one of their DJs was pianist Billy Taylor.  WWRL played R'n'B, and were known for their DJ's jive talk, "If you don’t dig this…you’ve got a hole in your soul!"  That night I was listening to "The Big RL", and I heard:

I can raise your hood
I can clean your coil
Check your transmission
Then give you the oil
I don't care what the people think
I got to put a tiger in your tank

I knew it was inspired by Esso Gasoline’s popular advertising campaign, and the libidinous double entendre, was not lost on this 17-year-old.  When the song ended, the DJ announced, "That was Muddy Water's Tiger In Your Tank from his album, At Newport 1960" and then said, "I'll bet there are lots of tigers in the tank, this time of night!"

Along with Muddy on guitar and vocals are: Otis Spann on piano and vocals, James Cotton on harmonica, Pat Hare on guitar, Andrew Stephens on bass and Francis Clay on Drums.

Tracklist
Side 1
1. I Got My Brand On You
2. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
3. Baby, Please Don't Go
4. Soon Forgotten
5. Tiger In Your Tank

Side 2
1. I Feel So Good
2. Got My Mojo Working
3. Got My Mojo Working, Part 2
4. Goodbye Newport Blues

This album belongs in every serious music collection.  If you already have it, upgrade to this version.  You won't be sorry!

The freeload is 24-bit/192 kHz (180-gram) vinyl rip of the Chess Acoustic Sounds Series, released on Aug 21, 2026.

In the early 60s, Esso gas stations handed out plush, faux fur tiger tails with strings as a promotional giveaway to match their iconic "Put a Tiger in Your Tank" advertising campaign. They looked like a literal tiger was trapped or hanging out of the fuel tank.

For the freeload, what have been some of your favorite promotional giveaways?

Jack Kerouac – 'The Beat Generation'

 

Here's a nice companion to Mark Murphy's 'Bop For Kerouac'.

Jack produced three LPs on which he recited his own prose and poetry. 'Poetry for the Beat Generation' from 1959 (accompanied by Steve Allen on the piano), 'Blues and Haikus' from 1959 (backed by saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims), and 'On the Beat Generation', from 1960, which presents him reciting unaccompanied.

This 3CD set compiles the three albums in their entireties, plus all existing additional material from the sessions, as well as rare bonus items: a radio show featuring Kerouac again with Steve Allen, an interview with the writer made by Ben Hecht, and a conference about the Beat Generation.

Tracklist:

CD1
1. October In The Railroad Earth
2. Deadbelly
3. Charlie Parker
4. The Sounds Of The Universe Coming In My Window
5. One Mother
6. Goofing At The Table
7. Bowery Blues
8. Abraham
9. Dave Brubeck
10. I Had A Slouch Hat Too, One Time
11. The Wheel Of The Quivering Meat Conception
12. McDougal Street Blues
13. The Moon Her Majesty
14. I'd Rather Be Thin Than Famous
15. Readings From "On The Road" And "Visions Of Cody"[Bonus Track]

CD2
1. American Haikus
2. Hard Hearted Old Farmer

3. The Last Hotel & Some Of Dharma
4. Poems From The Unpublished "Book Of The Blues"
5. Old Western Movies
6. Conclusion Of The Railroad Earth

CD3
1. The Beat Generation
2. Poems (Fragments): 
San Francisco / Street Scene / Money Honey / Westinghouse Elevators / Old Age / Praised Be Man / The Sad Turtle
3. Lucien Midnight: The Sounds Of The Universe In My Window Part 1
4. Lucien Midnight: The Sounds Of The Universe In My Window Part 2
5. Fantasy: The Early History Of Bop
6. Excerpts From "The Subterraneans"
7. Visions Of Neal: Neal And The Three Stooges, Part 1
8. Visions Of Neal: Neal And The Three Stooges, Part 2
9. Is There A Beat Generation? (Bonus Track)
10. Interview With Ben Hecht (Bonus Track)

For the freeload, tell us what's your favorite Beat Generation book.  

Mark Murphy - 'Bop For Kerouac'

'Bop for Kerouac' was recorded at Sage & Sound Studio in Hollywood, California, on March 12, 1981.  It was produced by Bill Mays, and released later in 1981, on the Muse Records label.

To my ears, 'Bop for Kerouac' is Mark Murphy’s finest album.  Recorded in a single six-hour session, the album shows Mark at the peak of his vocal and improvisational prowess.  It effortlessly combines classic bop standards and vocalese (a jazz singing style that sets original, meaningful lyrics to pre-existing instrumental melodies and improvised solos) with spoken-word excerpts from Kerouac’s literature, capturing the rhythm and aesthetic of the 1950s Beat movement.

Side A — The Bebop Foundations

1. "Be-Bop Lives (Boplicity)"
The album begins with a bold statement.  Set to the melody of "Boplicity", the classic Miles Davis/Gil Evans composition from 'Birth of the Cool'.  Mark delivers a lyric that describes the eternal nature of bebop music.  This sets the historical context, establishing the precise musical landscape that Kerouac and the hipsters of the late 1940s revered.

2. "Goodbye Porkpie Hat"
Murphy delivers a profoundly expressive reading of Charles Mingus’s classic elegy for saxophonist Lester Young, a.k.a. "Pres" was a significant stylistic icon for the Beats, renowned for his composed demeanor and distinctive hipster slang.  Mark skillfully captures that bittersweet, cool-jazz ethos in this rendition.

3. "Parker's Mood"
This is one of the album’s standout moments. Over a bluesy Charlie Parker melody, Mark abruptly shifts from singing vocalese  to a spoken-word recitation.  He reads a renowned passage from Jack Kerouac’s 'The Subterraneans' (my favorite Kerouac novella): "…we went to the Red Drum to hear the jazz that night was Charlie Parker… the king and founder of the bop generation…" Mark’s voice imitates the rhythm of a saxophone solo, effectively illustrating the influence of jazz phrasing on Kerouac’s writing.

4. "You Better Go Now"
A poignant, slow-burning ballad, originally popularized by jazz singers like Dakota Staton, strips away the frenetic energy of bop to reveal Mark’s vulnerable and theatrical storytelling style.

Side B — 'The Beat Realities'

1. "You've Proven Your Point (Bongo Beep)"
Murphy revs up his performance, channeling Charlie Parker’s "Bongo Beep" to deliver a lightning-fast, witty vocalese track.  This song allows Murphy to showcase his remarkable scatting skills and rapid-fire rhythm.

2. "The Bad And The Beautiful"
Mark delivers an incredibly emotional performance, backed only by Bill Mays playing a silky Fender Rhodes electric piano.  This masterclass in minimalism focuses heavily on themes of isolation and loneliness, echoing the dark, solitary side of the beatnik lifestyle.

3. "Down St. Thomas Way"
Sonny Rollins' renowned calypso-jazz composition, "St. Thomas" serves as the catalyst for an upbeat, rhythmic bounce in the second half of the record.  This track encapsulates the wanderlust, travel, and Afro-Caribbean influences that captivated the Beat writers during their travels through Mexico and the Caribbean.

4. "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men"
The emotional peak of the album. Murphy commences the track by reciting the haunting, legendary concluding lines of Kerouac’s On the Road: "Dean, ragged in a moth-eaten overcoat… walked off alone… I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty, the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty."  He seamlessly integrates this devastating piece of prose directly into the song—a melancholic lament about wasted youth and unfulfilled dreams, perfectly mirroring the tragic trajectory of the Beat Generation itself.

Along with Mark's vocals are:
Richie Cole on alto and tenor saxophones
Bill Mays on keyboards
Bruce Forman on guitar
Bob Magnusson and Luther Hughes on bass
Jeff Hamilton and Roy McCurdy on drums
Michael Spiro on congas and timbales

'Bop For Kerouac' is my all-time favorite vocalese record, and has a hip factor that's off the charts.

For the freeload, tell us what you've been listening to.

Taking A Short Break

Labor Day festivities are commencing here at the beach house a.k.a. "The Sandbox", here in Southampton, Long Island.  My youngest daughter, assorted grandchildren, "Little Babs" my great-granddaughter, and yes Denise "The Grease" are all here.

Posts will resume on Thursday, September 10th.

In the meantime, here's (what we mathematicians call) a "shitload" of music to keep you busy.

First up we have:
Tony Joe White – 'Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings'

Tony Joe White's 'Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings' is a 4-CD box set originally released by Rhino Handmade in 2006.  This is the definitive anthology of his legendary swamp rock catalog recorded for the Monument label between 1968 and 1970.

CDs 1, 2, and 3, are Tony's first three studio albums—'Black and White', '...Continued', and 'Tony Joe White'.  Each CD is the the original album tracks alongside non-LP singles, B-sides, and rare foreign versions.  CD4 Disc 4 is previously unreleased session outtakes, demos, and alternate versions.

Link
https://workupload.com/file/SV8BkXCnrjd

Next we have:
Various Artists - 'Art of Field Recording Vols. I & II'

'Art of Field Recording Vols. I & II' is two four CD sets of field recordings made by Art Rosenbaum that serve as an audio time capsule, preserving the performances of (for the most part) non-professional musicians who showcased traditional, uncommercialized American folk music over a span of half a century, from 1956 to 2007.

Art’s journey into the world of traditional music began in his teens when he sought out and recorded great blues guitarist Scrapper Blackwell and fiddler John W. Summers in his home state of Indiana. His fieldwork has resulted in valuable archival material that is now housed in the Indiana University Folklore Archives, the University of Georgia Libraries, and the Archives of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Volume I, released on November 6, 2007, on the archival music label Dust-to-Digital, won the Grammy Award for Best Historical Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.  The album features a diverse range of musical genres, including ballads, blues, spirituals, work songs, and slave songs.  It also showcases religious singing styles, such as the African-American ring-shout, as well as traditional folk music from various states, including Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. The performances are accompanied by voices and stringed instruments like the banjo and fiddle.

Volume II, released on December 9, 2008, delves into a vast array of American traditional music styles. It encompasses Cajun, Appalachian folk, country blues, gospel, Sacred Harp singing, sacred steel guitar, and a cappella vocals.  While it may not cover every genre, it certainly captures numerous approaches that have remained largely unexposed in the mainstream commercial music industry for over half a century. These styles have been preserved and performed outside the media spotlight, yet Volume II brings them to a wider audience.

Link 1
https://workupload.com/file/9pxeWn6TXQV

Link 2
https://workupload.com/file/4DWy38zfLm4

Enjoy!

Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall

 

'Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall' was released on the Vee-Jay Records label in August 1961.

The "Blues at Carnegie Hall" concert in May 1961 was headlined by Jimmy Reed.  Also on the bill was an all-star Blues lineup that included Big Maybelle, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Oscar Brown Jr.  At the time Jimmy's singles "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City" were huge hits on Billboard's Hot 100 R&B chart, and in some markets, crossed over (with less success) to the Hot 100 Pop chart.  Both songs were all over the black radio stations I was listening at the time, and explains why Jimmy was the show's headliner.  That said, I'd bet that Muddy Waters was just as big as a draw for the concertgoers that night.

"Blues at Carnegie Hall" was a show I wanted to attend, especially to see "Muddy", but it just wasn't to be.  At the time there were only two people in my life who could have made that happen, but they weren't around: My older brother, was in his freshman year at The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.  Denise "The Grease" was in Montauk, Long Island.  In 1961 there was a "Mob" power struggle going on in New York, and "The Grease" and her mother were sent to Montauk out of harms way.  The official story was that they were, "Visiting relatives in Miami".  Denise "The Genius Grease" wrote me from Montauk, and on the return address section on the envelope, she included her first and last name as well as the address of the safehouse where she was staying. <sigh>. . . .

A few months later, I was record shopping in Manhattan, and saw 'Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall', which was a 2LP set.  So I bought it, took it home, put in on my record player, and to my dismay, I discovered that it was not a live album!

Once I got over the fact that I had one of, if not the most deceptive album titles in the history of music, I realized I had 2 LPs of Jimmy Reed at his absolute best.  To this day, this is the Jimmy Reed album I play the most.

The backstory to 'Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall' is that contractual and technical issues prevented the Vee-Jay label from recording the show.  So Vee-Jay records label manager and producer Calvin Carter decided to recreate the show.  Contrary to popular belief it was not recorded in an empty Carnegie Hall, but rather a few blocks away at Bell Sound Studios, with Jimmy Reed's touring backing band that consisted of William "Lefty" Bates on second guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Earl Phillips on drums, and Mary Lee Reed on backing vocals – this was on the first LP.  The second LP is a compilation of Jimmy's greatest hits, and adds the guitars of Eddie Taylor. Phil Upchurch, and Lonnie Brooks to the above musicians.  It was later re-released as a single LP titled 'The Best of Jimmy Reed'.

Jimmy Reed, without doubt, is one of the most influential bluesmen of all time, and played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between traditional Chicago blues and the emergence of rock and roll.  Because Jimmy's songs were deceptively easy to grasp on the surface (a few minutes to learn, but years to master), he became the ultimate training ground for aspiring guitarists.  His distinctive sound laid the foundation for this musical evolution.

The freeload, is a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab "Original Master Recording" from their Ultradisc 24KT Gold CD, series, and sounds pretty sweet.

For the freeload, tell us about things you bought, that were not as advertised.

Thelonious Monk - 'Live at the It Club'

'Live at the It Club' was recorded on October 31 and November 1, 1964, at the "It" Club in Los Angeles, California.  The album was produced by Teo Macero, and posthumously released on the Columbia Records label in 1982 as a 2LP set.

This is Monk's mid-60s quartet with Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums at the absolute peak of their onstage chemistry. The interplay between Monk and Charlie Rouse stands out as a high point.

Monk sounded like a mid '60s jazz pianist in the '40s.  In 1964, he was still ahead of the curve.  'Live at the It Club' is freewheeling, carefree, fun, and like all Monk, it's just so damn entertaining.

CD 1
1. Blue Monk
2. Well, You Needn't
3. 'Round Midnight
4. Rhythm-A-Ning
5. Blues Five Spot
6. Bemsha Swing
7. Evidence
8. Nutty / Epistrophy (Theme)

CD 2
1. Straight, No Chaser
2. Teo
3. I’m Getting Sentimental over You
4. Misterioso
5. Gallop’s Gallop
6. Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are
7. Bright Mississippi
8. Just You, Just Me
9. All the Things You Are / Epistrophy (Theme)

For the freeload, let's talk about artists/groups that not unlike Monk, were ahead of the curve.

Santana - 'Amigos' (2026 Remaster)

'Amigos' was recorded in late 1975 and early 1976 at the Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California.  It was produced and engineered by David Rubinson and Fred Catero, and released on the Columbia Records label on March 26, 1976.

Columbia Records president Walter Yetnikoff, determined to secure a hit record, strategically recruited the production team of David Rubinson and Fred Catero to steer the band’s musical direction away from experimental jazz-rock fusion and towards a more cohesive, rhythm-driven, and classic Santana Latin/funk/rock sound.  This calculated move led to a commercial resurgence for the band, marking their first entry into the Billboard Top 10 since 1972.  However, it’s important to note that ‘Amigos’ is not exactly what one would describe as a commercial pop/rock album.

These sessions marked the highly anticipated introduction of a new lead vocalist, Greg Walker, who would also contribute vocals on 'Inner Secrets' and 'Moonflower'.  Additionally, these sessions would signify the end of an era, as they would be the final studio recordings of original bassist David Brown, who was the last surviving member of the band’s iconic 1969 Woodstock lineup to leave the group. 

 Also on the album are Tom Coster on Keyboards, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler on Drums & Percussion, and last but certainly not least the legendary Armando Peraza on Congas & Bongos, Armondo also sings the lead vocals on the track "Gitano".

Producer David Rubinson, also brought in three prominent session vocalists, Ivory Stone, Julia Tillman and Maxine Willard Waters to fill out the arrangements, which I'm led to believe was done in post-production.

Carlos in 1975

Carlos’s guitar throughout this album is as usual, pretty spectacular.

The freeload is the CD layer of the limited edition remastered hybrid SACD. This reissue was released on July 8, 2026, by Sony Music Japan. The sonics sound sweet.

For the freeload tell us what city/town and country you live in.

Howlin' Wolf (2026 Acoustic Sounds Remaster)

 

'Howlin' Wolf' a.k.a. 'The Rockin' Chair Album' was released in 1962 on the Chess Records label.  The record is not a studio album recorded in a single block, but a compilation of 12 singles that Wolf recorded between 1957 and 1961.  

Willie Dixon took credit for the bulk of the songwriting, played double bass, and produced the sessions.  There are contributions from other blues legends including Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, Sam Lay, Jimmy Rogers, and Hubert Sumlin, who delivers that sharp, jagged, and heavily distorted electric guitar riffs that defined Wolf's sound.  Then there's Wolf's himself, whose singing, rhythm guitar and harmonica are as always a force of nature.

'The Rockin' Chair Album' is one of is without doubt one of the most influential electric blues albums of all time.  It features the definitive bridge between Delta acoustic blues and the high-energy electrified rock explosion of the 1960s; molding the future of rock and roll. 

This album belongs in every serious music collection.  If you already have it, upgrade to this version.  You won't be sorry!

The freeload is 24-bit/192 kHz (180-gram) vinyl rip of the Chess Acoustic Sounds Series, released on Jul 24, 2026.

For the freeload, what's your favorite song recorded by Howlin' Wolf?

Freddie Hubbard - 'Straight Life'

'Straight Life' was recorded on November 16, 1970, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.  It was engineered Rudy Van Gelder, produced by Creed Taylor, and released on the CTI records label in January 1971.

It's hard to believe this album was recorded in a single session, but the band assembled for 'Straight Life' pretty much explains why: Joe Henderson on sax, George Benson on guitar, Herbie Hancock on piano/keyboards, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums.

Almost everyone that plays on this album had recorded with Miles Davis at some time or another, and Freddie Hubbard ended up with a monster of an album in incorporating all that talent into one group.

Unlike many slicker CTI productions of the era, 'Straight Life' relies on an unvarnished, high-energy jam-session feel across just three distinct tracks:

1. "Straight Life" was written by Freddie Hubbard.  At seventeen-minutes plus, it took up the first side of the original LP.  This is a high-energy, fast-paced track, with all the musicians in top form and turn in inspired solos, especially the spectacular saxophone work from Joe Henderson and George Benson's guitar.

2. "Mr. Clean" is a deep, funk-driven groove written by Weldon Irvine (also worth checking out is Weldon's own version from his album 'Liberated Brother').  Freddie's playing throughout this song is fluid and fiery and continues the rapid fire soloing and mood of track one.

3. "Here’s That Rainy Day"is a melancholic ballad penned by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, has become an American Songbook staple.  This rendition is a sublime duet between Freddie and George Benson.

'Straight Life' is of the finest soul/funk-influenced jazz fusion albums, you'll ever hear.

The freeload is a sweet sounding 24bit/192kHz 180g vinyl rip of a CTI reissue from 2016.  

As an added bonus, I'm adding the aforementioned Weldon Irvine's long out of print classic, 'Liberated Brother' from 1972.  If you are unfamiliar with Weldon Irvine a.k.a. "Master Wel", he is more than worth your time.

For the freeload what are your top three jazz fusion albums?

Jethro Tull - Aqualung (Steven Wilson Stereo Remix)

 

In 1971, the music industry witnessed the release of some of the most iconic and influential pop/rock albums of all time.  Among them are Imagine, Pearl, Sticky Fingers, Who’s Next, Tupelo Honey, Surf’s Up, Fragile, Led Zeppelin (IV, "Zoso" whatever you call it), Muswell Hillbillies, Tapestry, What’s Going On?, and Madman Across the Water.  These albums, along with today's freeload, Aqualung, represent a remarkable output for a mere twelve months.

'Aqualung' was recorded between December 1970 and February 1971 at Island Studios in London. It was produced by Ian Anderson and Terry Ellis, and released on the Chrysalis Records label on March 19, 1971.

The album is generally regarded as the pinnacle of Jethro Tull’s recorded output, front-man Ian Anderson’s songwriting, and its eclectic fusion of progressive rock, hard rock riffs, and acoustic folk melodies.  Songs such as "My God", "Hymn 43", "Locomotive Breath", "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Wind Up" and of course the title track "Aqualung" became FM radio staples and are in-demand concert favorites to this day.

Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson - Lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
Martin Barre - Electric guitar, descant recorder
John Evan - Piano, organ, Mellotron
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond - Bass guitar, alto recorder, odd voices
Clive Bunker - Drums and percussion

Side A - "Aqualung"
1. Aqualung
2. Cross-Eyed Mary
3. Cheap Day Return
4. Mother Goose
5. Wond'ring Aloud
6. Up To Me

Side B - "My God"
1. My God
2. Hymn 43
3. Slipstream
4. Locomotive Breath
5. Wind-Up

The freeload is a 24bit/96kHz vinyl rip of the 2011 Steven Wilson Remix.
As Steve himself tells it:
"As a long term fan of this music, my aim when remixing a classic album like this is to be faithful to the original, and to stay absolutely true to the spirit of the era in which the music was made.  Some cleaning up has been done, but only to the extent that it had zero impact on the audio (after all, a little bit of analogue tape hiss is part of the magic!) No attempt was made to "modernise" the mix, and to this end most of the equalisation, volume levels (and rides), stereo positioning, reverbs, echos and other effects processing are matched as closely as possible to the 1971 mix. The only exceptions to this are that we have brought some instruments in a little from extreme left or right in the stereo specgtrum, and a few details that may have been getting a little lost in the original mix have been given a lift in the new version."

Also included in the freeload will be a bonus surprise mystery freeload of another classic Jethro Tull album. What will it be? The suspense just might kill you.

For the freeload what's your favorite album I named in the first paragraph?