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Portugal, as some of you who are interested in Politics know, has hit rock bottom. After 48 years of Fascist Dictatorship and 36 years of Capitalist economical domain, the country has completely dried it's sources of income. How do Capitalists try to regain their money? austerity measures. For whom? the people. Every conquest of the Carnation Revolution is being slowly robbed from us. Education in this country is a dream, even though our constitution guarantees a free public school, open for everybody, but that is not happening. Our schools are in a terrible shape, we don't have any sort of new materials, at least any material that isn't older than us, the teachers have to work a lot of extra hours, not receiving any pay for them, and many other problems. In light of all this I decided to join the Juventude Comunista Portuguesa, JCP(Portuguese Communist Youth).
I've been a member of the JCP for almost 2 years now, and my political commitment has been growing week by week. In the past month I was arrested for painting a Mural close to my school, asking for more conditions, as we are an Artist School and we have to take classes in dumpsters (with 6 windows and a classboard), and worse than that is the fact that we don't have access to any school materials. I was released about 4 hours later, when the police realised I was doing nothing illegal.
Between the day i was arrested (13th of October) and today there has been already three demonstrations and a general strike, in which i participated as an organizer, and had to spend many hours, handing flyers, painting Murals and all sorts of things.
For this reason i wasn't able to post more Albums, more Albums that i have heard and that i want to share it with all of you. The future isn't bright and i will not stand still watching my future and the future of thousand of other youths being crumbled to the ground because of some peoples devotion to money instead of peace and love.
Red salutes to you all, and i ask you all. ACT! Don't let them take you what is yours! Don't conform yourself to this regime of money and greed!

Portuguese General Strike! 3,000,000 workers on Strike!

In the Past day of 24th of November, a general strike was convoned by the Two major unions of Portugal, the CGTP-IN (in English, General Confederation of Portuguese Workers - National Trades Union, which is strongly connected to the Communist Party) and the UGT (in English, General Workers Union, most of the times supporting the interests of the capitalists, instead of the interests of the workers). Out of the 5 Million workers in Portugal, about 3 Million participated in the strike, making it the biggest strike in Portugal ever.
Transports were completely impossible to get, almost all schools were closed, there was no mail, police officers were on fines strike, most factories were closed for lack of workers, hospitals were doing minimum services. Everything stopped in Portugal in that day. Being that there are 609,000 people without a job, and they are counted as not participating in the Strike, the number of people working in Portugal in the 24th of November is about 1,500,000 people.
Portugal is one of the European countries who is slowly being destroyed by the Capitalist economy, as Ireland and Greece, it seems inevitable that the ones in power (the fake Socialist Party and the right wing conservative Social Democratic Party) will sell us to the IMF. The General strike is the proof that the Portuguese workers will not stand for this politics, they will not support this economical system that gives everything to the ones that already have everything, and gives nothing to the ones who own nothing, they will not stand for the new politics of austerity imposed on the workers while the Rich get their millions through bail-outs.
It is not only this strike but all the other strikes around Europe that are showing the Working Class that they are the ones who have the power, that they are the ones who make the country work, that they are truly the ones who command the most!
Down with Capitalism! Down with the Belicist Imperialist Super-Powers! Long Live Marxism! Power to the People!

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior - Summer Solstice (1971)

Summer Solstice is the Third and Last Album by the English Folk Duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior.
Maddy Prior and Tim Hart met in 1966, in St Albans School, England. They started performing together and quickly recorded two Albums before forming the Magnificent Traditional Folk Band Steeleye Span, a band who already has already reached a mystical status in Folk music. In 1971, two years after the formation of Steeleye Span, they decided to release another Album, consisting mostly of Traditional English songs. They both continued playing, and in the late 70's they both released Solo Albums, Maddy's ones being fairly well receive. Tim's health started its decline in the 80's and he left the band and tried to find a place to rest away from the civilization, Prior however maintained her musical activity until today. Tim died on the Christmas eve of 2009, less than a year ago. This is a very important Album if your objective is to know more about the English Folk scene. Take in regards that this is not a Rock Album, there is no Electric Guitar (there is a Bass, though).
Best Tracks - "The False Knight on the Road", "The Ploughboy and the Cockney", "Cannily Cannily" and "Serving Girls Holiday". There ain't much interest in the Cover-Art. 2 drawings meshed together with an old looking scarf (maybe not a scarf, but it looks that way to me) with the names of both the musicians.

Tim Hart And Maddy Prior (Summer Solstice Personnel):
- Maddy Prior – Vocals.
- Tim Hart – Vocals, Guitar, Appalachian Dulcimer, Harmonium, Psaltery, Tabor.
- Andy Irvine – Mandolin.
- John Ryan – Acoustic Bass.
- Gerry Conway – Percussion, Bells.
- Pat Donaldson – Electric Bass.

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Ill Wind - Flashes (1968)

Flashes is the First and only Album by the American Psychedelic Rock Album Ill Wind.
Formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1965, they started like many other bands of the time, without any sort of capacity to find gigs. After some struggle to replace and find the musicians they still needed to form the group, they realized that there were already many bands called The Prophets (they called themselves that because two of the members had grown full beards), and after writing lists of possible names and hating them all, they just settled with the name of one of the band members song. They weren't able to find any work due to their Hippie aspect and because they didn't play Cover songs, but gradually they became pretty famous when the Psychedelic movement started, releasing an overwhelming interest in original songs and long Jams. Unfortunately, when they managed to find a famous producer who had already worked with The Mothers Of Invention, Velvet Underground and Simon & Garfunkel, they realised that he wasn't that interested in the recordings (his name is Tom Wilson by the way). The session didn't go as they wanted it to go, but still they released the Album, 10k copies were released but they were all damaged, so a second print was released but they were only 2500 this time. There were many people trying to get the Album, but they never met the demand. They went on to open for many famous acts at the time, but they ended up disbanding.
Best Tracks - "Walkin' And Singin'", "Sleep", "High Flying Bird" and "People Of The Night". The cover was demanded by the Label, so Ill Wind are not the idealists of such a bland cover. A studio Photo of them.

Ill Wind:
- Connie DeVanney - Vocals.
- Ken Frankel - Guitar, Banjo.
- Richard Griggs - Guitar, Vocals.
- David Kinsman - Drums.
- Carey Mann - Guitar, Bass, Vocals.

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Paris - Paris (1976)

Paris is the Debut Album by the Hard-Rock Band Paris.
I've been wanting to post this Album in my Blog, almost since i started it back in January. I genuinely enjoy it, i think it is one of the best things to come out in 1976, the year when musicianship and the music itself started its decline. Formed by three musicians who were already experienced in the Rock business (Robert Welch from Fleetwood Mac, Glenn Cornick from Jethro Tull and Thom Mooney from Nazz), they were signed by the Capitol Records, and quickly recorded an Album. They never made and the Album was soon taken out of the stores, turning it into a collectors item, due to the lack of Albums sold. The lack of advertisement by the Label also helped to the lack of sales, the only thing they did was send them in Tour to support other bands, who were bigger at the time. The three of them are amazing players, and for anyone who enjoys Bass, it is a must.
Best Tracks - "Black Book", "Religion", "Nazarene" and "Red Rain". The Cover-Art is pretty awful. Some letter reading Paris, with the A resembling the Eiffel Tower, all of the letters painted in bright yellow, and a kind of water effect. Very mediocre in terms of Covers.

Paris:
- Bob Welch - Vocals, Guitar.
- Glenn Cornick - Bass, Keyboards.
- Thom Mooney - Drums.

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Ten Years After - Undead (1968)

Undead is the Second Album by the English Blues-Rock Band Ten Years After.
Undead was recorded live at a small Jazz club, named Klook's Kleek, in order to capture the experience of listening to a Live concert by Ten Years After. This was the Album that made it to Ten Years After, they became quite known around the 60's musical movements, mainly due to the amazing Guitar Solos and improvisations by the Band Leader Alvin Lee. They played intensively during the next years, including their concert in Woodstock and Fillmore, but they soon started working with different people and they disbanded in 1975. Undead is still seen today as a true Guitar Masterpiece, and Alvin Lee is now seen as a Guitar Legend. All the members were obviously fantastic players it is not only Lee, who deserves recognition. Every instrument is played with a lot of power and soul, and there are no misses or weird sounds at all, that we sometimes hear in more Amateur recordings.
Best Tracks - "At the Woodchoppers' Ball", "Summertime - Into Shantung Cabbage" and "I'm Going Home". The Cover-Art is quite uninteresting. That effect that seemed to be very popular in the 60's, is really not such a great thing as many though it had at the time.

Ten Years After:
- Alvin Lee - Guitar, Vocals.
- Chick Churchill - Organ.
- Ric Lee - Drums.
- Leo Lyons - Bass.

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Boston Tea Party - Boston Tea Party (1968)

Boston Tea Party is the Debut Album by the American Psychedelic Pop Band Boston Tea Party.
Formed in 1963 as a surf band, but they soon understood that the Surf-Rock movement was not a thing to last very long and in 1965 they changed they're style and entered the Psychedelic World. It is hardly an amazing Album, or any thing of the sorts, it is however a good listen and it is worth the time, if not to enjoy, to learn a bit more about the Psychedelic Movement. It was released by the Flick Disc label, a subsidiary of the bigger label MGM. Before the release of this Album, they had already recorded some Singles but they never made it. Some parts of the songs might sound quite Amateurish, but there are some pretty good musical moments.
Best Tracks - "I'm Tellin' You", "I Found A Way", "We Have Already Died", "In Their Shoes" And "Time Being". Sunshine Pop, without falling into the hands of the terrible Commercial crap. The Cover-Art is pretty enjoyable, a nice mix of real photography's and Psychedelic colours.

Boston Tea Party:
- Robert DePerna - Keyboards.
- Richard DePerna- Bass.
- Travis Fields - Vocals.
- David Novogroski - Drums.
- Mike Stevens - Guitar.

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High Tide - Sea Shanties (1969)

Sea Shanties is the Debut Album by the English Hard-Rock, Psychedelic Band High Tide.
As many other bands, High Tide never got much attention, even though they became pretty well known at the time in the rest of Europe. Through relationships with The Apple Label (The one the Beatles founded), they managed to get a record with Liberty/United Artists Label. They went on to release two more Albums, one of them was only released decades after its recording. There are absolutely no dead moment in the Album, The guitar is kicking back and forth without rest. The others Albums however would drop this insane Hard-Rock songs and follow a more simplistic and calm Soft-Psychedelic sound. Tony Hill started a new band recently, and together with Simon House has re-formed High Tide as a 2-man-show.
Best Tracks - "Futilist's Lament", "Death Warmed Up", "Walking Down Their Outlook" and "Nowhere". They all have some sort of darkness in them. The cover maybe helps to that effect. Paul Whitehead who drawn a lot of Album covers for the Charisma Records, was the Artist behind the Cover.

High Tide:
- Roger Hadden - Drums.
- Tony Hill - Guitar, Vocals.
- Simon House - Violin , Piano.
- Peter Pavli - Bass.

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New Writing Style.

I do not have the time to continue to write so much about every Album, so i will stop talking about every song on the Album, and just keep to the essential. This will enable me to post more Albums, as i took a lot of time to write the previous Articles.
Expect more Albums to be posted in a near future.

Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking (1969)

Unhalfbricking is the Third Album by the British Electric Folk Rock Band Fairport Convention.
Unhalfbricking marks the start of a new sonority for Fairport Convention. They started moving away from American songs and start working on Traditional British songs, which culminated in Liege & Lief, even though this Album only features one traditional song. In 1969, Fairport Convention released 3 Albums, that are often considered to be the best on their career. At the end of the year, the classical line-up would dismember, many would pursue a career in other bands and others sadly died (Martin Lamble, the Drummer, died shortly after recording in May, at the age of 19, after the Band's van crashed).
"Genesis Hall" opens the Album, as always Denny's voice is completely amazing. The Electric Guitar is also of great importance for the song, with some great licks. The Refrain is absolutely stunning. "Si Tu Dois Partir" is a Bob Dylan song, but unlike many other covers they decided to translate the song to French (original title is 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now') and with the help of an accordion managed to make it sound like a real French song. "Autopsy" has an amazing Percussion line, very Jazzistic. It was written by Sandy Denny. "A Sailor's Life" is the only Traditional song in the Album. 11 minutes of the finest Folk Rock you will ever hear, the lyrics are splendid (as are a lot of traditional British songs), The Percussion and the Vocals are obviously amazing and the Final Jam is just overwhelming. "A Sailor's Wife" is Epic! "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" another Denny's composition. It is often considered as one of the best Folk song ever, it is very calm and it has an excellent ambient. I really don't like the beginning of the next song "Percy's Song", another Bob Dylan song (Dylan had invited the band members to listen to his unreleased songs), which hadn't been released yet (it was only released by Dylan in 1985). "Million Dollar Bash" is a Country like song, also created by Dylan, it is the only song where anyone other than Denny sings. It has a very good Rhythm but other than that it is not that good if you compare it to the other songs.
This Album often features in Best of All-Times lists, and songs like "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" was considered to be the best Folk Song by BBC 2 Radio. The next Album, however, is the one to be considered as the Band's best and one of the Best Albums of all time.

Fairport Convention:
- Sandy Denny - Vocals, Harpsichord.
- Richard Thompson - Guitars, Electric Dulcimer, Piano Accordion, Organ, Back-Vocals.
- Ashley Hutchings - Bass, Back-Vocals.
- Simon Nicol - Guitars, Electric Dulcimer, Back-Vocals.
- Martin Lamble - Drums.
- Dave Swarbrick - Fiddle.
- Marc Ellington - Vocals (in "Million Dollar Bash").

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