BALTIMORE...as it was, as it is...BALTIMORE!
DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE DEMAND, THERE ARE NO BBBB II CD'S LEFT IN OUR INVENTORY AND THE CD MANUFACTURER WHO MADE THESE CD'S IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS.
There are 10 or so copies available at $14.99 (+ shipping and handling) per 2 disc set at www.disciplineglobalmobile.com or perhaps you can email John Collinge at PROGRESSION magazine and beg him for a copy...otherwise, see below.
SO...WHILE THE CD'S ARE CURRENTLY "OUT OF PRINT," ANY AND/OR ALL OF THE SONG SELECTIONS MAY BE DIGITALLY DOWNLOADED (EACH AT A REASONABLE PRICE AND SECURELY) FROM THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES: AUDIO LUNCHBOX, APPLE iTUNES, MUSIC4CENTS, ETHERSTREAM, NAPSTER, RULERADIO,EMEPE3, CATCHMUSIC, SONY CONNECT, QTRNOTE, MUSICMATCH, VIZTAS, BUYMUSIC, WEED, PURETRACKS, NETMUSIC, MSN MUSIC, LOUDEYE, MUSICNET, EMUSIC, MPERIA, ONLINEPROMO, DIGIPIE, WEEDFILES (WEEDICP), MUSICNOW, SHARE NEW YORK (WEEDICP), iSOUND, MP3TUNES, PLAYINDIES, RHAPSODY, BITMUNK, PASSALONG, CHONDO, RUCKUS, DIGITALKIOSK, and AMERICAN IDOL UNDERGROUND.
"Baltimore has certainly produced its share of eccentric rockers over the years. Frank Zappa and David Byrne come instantly to mind, but there are many others that never hooked up with major label support. As a result, they've remained obscure--even in their own hometown. A new double disc set, BBBB II, helps remedy that by giving a nod to some of the area's wackiest and most ambitious bands. If you were a fan of Can and Van Der Graaf Generator in the late 1970's and early 1980's, you might remember Neige. That group featured longtime scenesters Mike Gehl and drummer Joe Manfre playing psych rock framed by effects-laden, experimental riffing. After hearing "Ode to Arthur Fiedler," you might pull those old King Crimson records out of the closet. Other highlights include tunes and anti-tunes by OHO, Klangfarb, and the United States of Existence." -John Lewis, Baltimore Magazine
"BBBB II shows the high potential of the presented acts. Logically, it's not possible to maintain the high, pleasant level over the twin discs--the bands are too different in quality and style. Some have the better composers, others more humour, some work too seriously and others are too typical. The general view over the Baltimore scene is very interesting and recommended." -www.ragazzi-music.de
BBBB I was released as a 12" vinyl record on Paul Rieger's boutique label, Balto-Weird Records in 1979. 24 years later we finally see Volume II, a compendium of rare progressive, avant garde, acid folk, and thrash symphonic recordings spanning 4 decades (1972-2003) of music in Baltimore, MD, USA. This 2-CD set of 150 minutes was produced by Jay Graboski ("Jay is the reason music will never die, because he'll just keep digging it back up! I love this guy for his sheer determination and extreme creativity." -Glenn Workman, Crack the Sky/Expensive Hobby/Sheffield Audio-Visual) in collaboration with the Progression Magazine quarterly as a promotional tool intended to increase magazine subscriptions at regional progressive music showcases and, in general, to promote the rich musical heritage of the creative, cultural underbelly of Baltimore, MD.
This unique retrospective features the illustrations of Baltimore-based artist/painter, Connell, and rare, vintage photos by former OHO roadie/graphic artist, Jon Considine, as well as the work of freelance photographer, Jeffrey Albaugh. Vintage 70s audio skit snippets appropriately edited and placed throughout disc number one's material were provided by a transplanted Dick Kunc, former Director of Engineering at Frank Zappa's Bizarre/Straight Records.
Instead of following the usual sampler format of offering one tune per artist, the producers opted to give the listener significantly rich, 10-to-15 minute chunks of each performer's music (where available).
The 19 bands/performers on this compilation are:
Disc # 1:
Wild Mouse (1995-96)-a loose collective of east Baltimore musicians led by Keith (the Beeman) Amtmann, a self-taught songster with an ear for melodic lyricism, and Johnny Cochran, a Peabody Conservatory trained composer. If you like your prog dark and eerie you'll find much to admire in Wild Mouse. "Spherical electronics."; Outrageous (1975)-The Pot Head Pixies weren't the only brood traversing the outer regions of insanity. This truly disturbed sextet touched down in Baltimore in 1974 and constructed some of the most maniacal experiments ever transferred to tape. "Fantastic Prog/Avant Rock with a Zappa-esque sense of humor. We need more of this stuff!" "Their sound is a bizarre and humor-filled stew of styles, full of unpredictable twists & turns. There are some seriously good chops at work here."-Peter Thelen (editor, Expose); OHO (1974-1976)-Are you sure OHO are American? Something this great would have to be English, wouldn't it? More than a rock group, 70s OHO were an intellectual and artistic concept that smothered in the provincialism of the North American Hinterland, "straddling the fence between late psychedelia and 70s art-rock, with experimental fun at every turn." (Thelen, Expose); Elf Park (1975) (featuring singer/author John "Rock Till You Drop" Strausbaugh)-"Influenced by everything from Brit prog-rock to 60s R&B to the harmony style of Styx, 'Queen of Ice' is the highlight of their set." (Thelen, Expose); Grok (1973), Steakhouse (2002)-Steakhouse pushed the polyrhythmic, primal, tribal fire beyond its containment, yielding inevitably to the drag of the mask. "Excellent stuff! As melodic as Dylan and as aggressive as DiFranco, they play off each other as parts of a unified whole." -UMBC Retriever Weekly; Richard Lake (1972), Trance Figures (1990)(with former OHO/Hand-to-Mouth vocalist, the lyrical Grace Hearn, warbling & hammering her dulcimer.)-an "atmospheric" instrumental employing the "new-standard" C pentatonic guitar tuning introduced to the assembled attendees during Guitar Craft VII, November 1985; B.L.A.M.M.O. (Beleaguered League of Artists Meeting Mass Opposition)(1990- )-experiments with all known and unknown musical forms.
Disc #2:
BLAMMO "fulfills their promise."; Neige (1979)-Music that is different combining improvisation and precision. "The absolute pinnacle of the 2 CD set. Two terrific, hefty, vital tunes. 'Arthur Fiedler' is perfect."; St. Joseph's Ass (1995- )-"Thrash Symphonix" is the banner under which these cosmic assassins operate. King Crimson, Italian Prog, Ministry and DC Hardcore mixed in a blender with the lid left off. 'E-E' sounds like futuristic Iron Butterfly, highlighted by a 'shadow' version of the Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' orchestration. 'Body Shock' begins 'country-train'-like: pedal-to-the-metal through lava-layered guitars onto a looping finale before an orchestral wash Leslie'd on high rinse...exhausting. "Their 3 songs rock like hell, are very complex and dynamic. Please more!"; OHO/SACCO (featuring David Reeve & J.P. Graboski)(1985- )-OHO sounds like Jefferson Airplane landing on top of Genesis and then taking a time machine ride with Fairport Convention to play at H.G. Wells' birthday party. "'Burning Grey' is one of the better songs on the entire set."-Peter Thelen, Expose; Klangfarb (1977)-The closest thing to a "klangfarben melody" that Klangfarb would ever do, "L.S.E.2" is a series of keyboard blends, pieced together by tape splices. "This short electronic piece is prominent Avantrock. Again, MORE!"; Leisure Suited Executives (1980)-The L.S.E. mantle was adopted for the prog/pop music Paul Rieger and Bob Tiefenwerth played with new drummer Gary Schwartz. "In the Village" features tape loops of instrumental passages augmented by recordings of natural sounds, jams and the paranoid rants of 'Mr. Speaker' extracted from an album of letters read into the Congressional Record and used for stenography lessons. "LSE go even further into the electronic Avantgarde, minimalistic and very impressive."; United States of Existence (1984)-Klangfarb having been put out to pasture, Paul and Bob then formed U.S.E. with vocalist Dennis Davison. "Psycho-Pop."; The Concertgebrew Orchestra (1977-1990)-Formed in 1977 by two, obscure Scandanavian composers, Dark Finn and Sonny Dane. Their sporadic output was interrupted in the early 1990's by their sudden disappearance; Food for Worms (1981)-Formed out of the ashes of OHO, FfW clearly made a smooth transition into new territory when the Good Ship Progressive sank. Moody, moving, funky and spunky...the worm is the word; Matt Graboski (2003)-the future NOW! "Great songs and a terrific voice." "I wish I played guitar like Matt." --Bert Lams (California Guitar Trio) "Aggressive vocal delivery and lushly nimble guitar work...this is refreshing, peppy and downright incendiary stuff."-John Collinge, editor (Progression); and Vulgarians (1992)-OHO side project intended to assess the damage of and administer a healing balm to the wounds suffered during the band's equivalent of the first Gulf War. "Two short, crazy OHO songs finish CD2." "No one I've encountered in my years of doing PROGRESSION exemplifies the indomitable spirit of progressive music any better than Jay Graboski and his band, OHO." -John Collinge, Progression Magazine
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