What It Is?

I'm not too good this week but one thing that has always bugged me was not being able to replace my original 1972 pre-recorded cassette of The Temptations Solid Rock with a much better cd version as this title only briefly came out in the 1980's and currently has an asking price of up to $500 used when you see one.
As an album goes its a transitional one issued just after Eddie Kendrick left his sole contribution on this album is 'It's Summer' as he felt the Psychedelic Soul producer Norman Whitfield was having them record wasn't the old style R&B with ballads they had been previously known for and to which also they felt they were guesting on his albums.
It does however capture that feel of social consciousnesses prevalent back then rather well  in 'Stop The War, Now' a meditation begging  the end to the Vietnam War with its many destroyed lives (a topic that resonates with me regarding the Afghanistan War today), 'Superstar', in part a dig at former Temptations and call to arms to those who ride on the tails of their peers getting to the top and then disowning them and their needs, plus  'Take a Look Around' inviting people to see the poverty of the Inner City.
This was issued as a download mid January 2013 but only in the US which isn't much use as I don't live there but fortunately I had a friend who was able to get it for me from US iTunes and move it in my computers general direction by the wonders of the Internet.
It sounds much much better than my ancient tape which was very compressed, hissy because back the EMI who issued Tamla Motown titles didn't use dolby noise reduction on the tape and the tape quality was such that on the loud passages the high notes no longer existed.
I also got the download of Psychedelic Soul a very good 2 cd set covering this period of the Temptations with two extended remixes.

Eviction time

Further to this post of 2012 (NEO: an end of an era ), Uncooked Media and NEO magazine announced with just 7 days notice it was to close the magazines old Forum on Friday February 22nd where some of us had accounts for quite a period, saying they hadn't anyone to look after it.
So not for the first time some us are forum hopping again and can be found found at UK Anime news's forum as most of us have agreed to move other there for now at least and nearly everyone bar me is keeping their old user names.
For posterity here's a picture of the forum for duoinchains, Shadowcat, max, demonix and the gang.

So long NEO Forums and raised glasses to our new home.

Be who you are

s

I just felt like making a a more inspirational post this week because too many people are feeling they can't express how and what they really feel through fear of ridicule in so-called real lives or in cyber life.
The only issue that really matters when you express yourselves is that it's done in a respectful and polite manner so the ears of those who you want to persuade stay open to the power of your suggestion.

Dancing on a Saturday Night

For some people seeing something like that record above would trigger of a lot of memories so I might just add for the timeline it's 1973 and volume 33 in the Hallmark/Pickwick Top of The Pops series.
Borrowing the title from the then BBC TV show of the time, they'd have session musicians including some household names go in the studio and re-record the hit 45's of the day to avoid paying for the rights from the artists own record companies but on the plus side you had full versions and it was cheaper than buying a bunch of 45's back then.
Some of the versions were actually better than the originals and I liked most of the songs on this album as I had some bought for me at the time! They were sold in places like Woolworths and discount stores.
The series faded out by the late 70's and 80's as record companies licensed the originals for compilations on KTel and Ronco Records and in the UK the Now! series from December 1983