The Spirit Of Sireena Vol. 9
CD, 2014, Digisleeve

SIREENA | LC 11127 | Online Distribution: FUEGO | Presse & Promo: SHACK Media // (c)&(p) 2014 Sireena Records

released December 2014 Sireena // released January 9, 2015 Sireena (Broken Silence)

taken from
01 - SIR4023 / FREEDOM - Freedom: FREEDOM were formed in late 1967 by two former PROCOL HARUM Harum members, drummer Bobby Harrison and guitarist Ray Royer. The second incarnation of this band featured guitarist Roger Saunders and bass player Walter Monagham. Both had featured in a band called The Washington DCs who had a No. 1 hit single in Turkey in 1964 with the song “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”.
FREEDOM played progressive bluesrock and were stylistically on a par with other bands such as CREAM. This LP is a reissue of the follow-up album released in 1970. More changes in the band occurred, Pete Dennis replaced Monagham on bass and extra keyboard player Steve Jolly joined.
By late 1972, Freedom had disbanded. Roger Saunders made some headway as a session player and songwriter and throughout most of the eighties was a member of Gary Glitter’s Band. Sadly he died early in 2000. Bobby Harrison went on to form SNAFU.


02 - SIR2116 / TRIBUTE - Live!: The Swedish symphonic rockband Tribute was founded 1982 by the two musicians/composers Gideon Andersson and Josef (formerly Christer) Rhedin.

The band created four albums - ”New Views”, ”Breaking Barriers”, ”Live” and ”Terra Incognita”. ”New Views” was the first album and was the one that gave the group their breakthrough in Germany and Sweden in the middle of the nineteen eighties.
Tribute toured continuously between 1983 and 1986, and established a large following among the symphonic/progressive rock lovers. Tribute's music is mostly instrumental. It is focused on rhythm, intricate riffs and melodies. In the orchestration there is plenty of classical percussion, such as tubular bells, vibraphone, marimba and timpani. There is also a strong impact from the keyboard section mastered by Josef Rhedin. Another significant aspect of Tribute is that all musicians were multi-instrumentalists, which made a significant impression on their audience.

After the success of their debut album "New Views" (SIR 2105) legendary Drummer Pierre Moerlen (GONG), joined the band. He should be a member of TRIBUTE for the next years. Together they went into the studio in 1986 to record the second album "Breaking Barriers" (SIR 2115). After that, the band continued their extensive tour life. (By the end of 1986, the Swedes had given more than 300 concerts, mostly in Sweden, the Netherlands and their secret stronghold, the northern part of Germany). In the fall of 1986, the concerts were recorded, mostly in “Die Große Freiheit” in Hamburg and in Emden and Friesoythe, too. This CD contains the hit "Icebreaker" and also a lot of songs that are not included on the two studio albums of TRIBUTE. The special class of the Swedish band is reflected in every song. What a joy!

03 - SIR2132 / GENERAL LEE BAND - Rebel By Choice: This album offers the high school of the Southern Rock, fantastic interpretation of Atlanta Rhythm Section can be found just like that of Stevie R. Vaughn or Freddy McKinell. The album ends with an ultra long version of the classic T-Bone Walker "Stormy Monday Blues". The two voices from The General and Lady B. are the salt in the soup, The three guitarists Thomas "Exi" Exner, Freddy McKinell and Achim Rabenschlag combat in the best Guitar Army tradition and the rhythm section of drummer Martin Bednarz and bassist Andreas Müller keeps the whole thing together.

Although this album comes from Germany, (and not from Georgia or Florida) "Rebel by Choice" is a great moment of Southern rock, the album is fun for more.



04 - SIR 4022 / NATTEFROST - Different Stages: Danish musician Bjørn Jeppesen is releasing his solo music under the name Nattefrost.
It all started in 1995 with a cassette tape including some dark ambient tracks.
But Bjørn developed his music and made it more melodic and rhythmic over the years.
So far Nattefrost has released 10 albums, 2 EP’s and is included on over 15 compilation CDs worldwide.

The new Nattefrost album entitled "Different Stages" includes 8 live tracks (9 tracks on the CD version). The album title "Different Stages" refers to the recordings from the 4 live concerts held in 4 countries – Sweden in 2010 (Nattefrost as headliner), the Netherlands in 2010, Germany and the UK 2012 – everything professionally recorded and mixed. "Different Stages" is available on 180 Gram clear vinyl LP with gatefolded cover and as a limited edition CD including the bonus track "Nightfall" from yet another concert - in Denmark (1999). This album includes live versions of tracks from some of the previous Nattefrost albums including the most recent "Futurized" which is represented by a live version of the darker "Ghost Mind" but also a very different version of "Intergalactic Journey" (Originally on the album "Underneath the Nightsky" album from 2007) is to be found on "Different Stages". "Different Stages" should appeal to the fan that likes lots of the old school spacey electronic synth stuff but also for the Nattefrost fans that like a mixture of vintage and modern electronics.

05 - SIR2133 / JOCHEN BRÜCKNER - Eleven and a Half:
Brandneues Album des Hamburger Singer/Songwriters (Bad News Reunion, ex-Highway)
Jochen Brueckner war schon immer musikbegeistert und startete seine musikalische Laufbahn zunächst als DJ im Hamburger Raum. Dort lernte er den Schlagzeuger Peter Franken (seiner wird auf "Eleven And A Half" gedacht) kennen, der ihm als Freund und Lehrer Gitarrenunterricht gab und ihn zum Singen animierte. Daraufhin gründete J.B. seine erste Band WINDSPIEL, in der folkloristische Elemente überwogen, und machte nebenbei deutschsprachige Demos, die Warner Brothers so gut fand, dass zwei - nicht erfolgreiche - Singles produziert wurden (eigentlich sollte " Ein Bett im Kornfeld" eingespielt werden, aber Jürgen Drews hatte den bekannteren Namen als Sänger - vielleicht auch gut so!!). Die Produktion übernahm Pete Bellotte, der u.a. die Welthits "Hot Stuff" und "I Feel Love" geschrieben hat und Donna Summer und Elton John produzierte. Er ist nach wie vor der beste Freund J.B.s und hat mit ihm "Looking Back" und "Camara" für das neue Album geschrieben und das Mastering übernommen. Er gab die Anregung, eine Band in englischer Sprache ins Leben zu rufen. Sie nannte sich HIGHWAY, spielte im Stil der "Westcoast-Music" aus den USA (Eagles, Poco,CSN&Y) und J.B. war einer der Sänger.

Schon das erste Album (Up And Down The Highway) war in Deutschland erfolgreich. Die Band tourte sechs Jahre und veröffentlichte drei weitere Alben ( "Wheel Of Fortune" , ein Konzeptalbum mit Texten von Pete Bellotte; "Heartbreaker", produziert im ABBA-Studio von deren Tonmeister und "Highwaves" in Eigenproduktion). Das Abschiedskonzert in der Hamburger Fabrik wurde zum Triumph.

Parallel dazu spielte und sang J.B. bei BAD NEWS REUNION, einer losen Formation Hamburger Musiker u.a. mit Michael Schlüter, Abi Wallenstein, Peter Urban (NDR) und dem Gitarrenprofessor Uli Kringler. Die Band spielte 5 Alben ein, die alle bei Sireena veröffentlicht wurden; das letzte ( "Lost And Found") ist in diesem Jahr erschienen.
J.B. hat bisher drei Solo-Alben produziert ("Stick Around", "One Man's Band"-unveröffentlicht- und "Twins"), die mit Musikern wie Peter Weihe, Benjamin Hüllenkremer, Ralf Schwarz, Ian Cussick, Richard Schumacher, Karl Allaut, Uli Kringler u.v.m. eingespielt wurden.

Auch auf dem brandneuen Album "Eleven And A Half" stehen wieder die Namen großartiger Musiker. Auch Ian Cussick ist wieder dabei. Die meisten Songs sind allein oder mit Freunden geschrieben worden; arrangiert, aufgenommen und produziert von Jochen Brueckner, gemischt von Graham Laybourne im Boogiepark-Studio Hamburg, in dem u.a. Jan Delay, Ray Garvey und Udo Lindenberg zuhause sind. Stilistisch ist das Album des Singer/Songwriters wohl im Genre "Rock" einzuordnen, obwohl die Einflüsse der amerikanischen Westküste nicht zu überhören sind.

06 - SIR2131 / CINEMA - Loopings: CINEMA is the current project of Jürgen "Pöngse" Krutzsch, who already was a well-known Krautrock size with his band TIBET in the Seventies. The project name fits, because the titles of this album run like movies in the mind's eye of the listener.
Pöngse - supported by Brigitte Grafe and guitarist Benjamin Peiser - knows to take this electronic soundtrack every cold and to create an incredibly groovy and trancy melange, reminiscent in some moments of Pink Floyd, but also wakes associations with Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Mike Oldfield and Schiller. Each title tells you in advance what it is and what musical elements are used. African, oriental and rock rhythms, with organs, choirs, guitars - a plenty of synthesizers and sequencers.
For mastering ex-Grobschnitt musician EROC was actually responsible. The result is a musical journey around the world through the digital sound world of the continents that is unparalleled!

07 - SR2112 / PAUL ROLAND - Professor Moriarty's Jukebox:
19 unreleased recordings, radio sessions and rarities by the godfather of steampunk
“In the winter of 2012 British gotic psychedelic artist PAUL ROLAND formed a new band to perform at a special charity event in London at the invitation of writer/actor/TV presenter Stephen Fry. Roland was then being represented by a manager who planned to organise more UK gigs, (one of the rare times he had professional representation), but the music business being what it is and Sagittarius being misaligned with Mars, or some such, none of this actually transpired. But the band had such a jolly time rehearsing that it seemed a shame not to go in to the studio and record some of the live set for later use as radio sessions, especially since these sounded so different from the released versions. These tracks were subsequently featured on the Clockwork Cabaret podcast in America, Starship Overflow in the UK and Radio 95.8 in Greece.
Paul was delighted when Baltimore steampunk band The Clockwork Dolls agreed to add backing vocals and to have the good fortune to feature psych guitarist Mick Crossley of Flyte Reaction who added his inimitable guitar parts and backing vocals. Two tracks also feature violinist Geoffrey Richardson of legendary Canterbury rock band Caravan.
Then Paul Roland thought it would be a hoot to release them as part of a possible series of rare and unreleased recordings and he added some more unreleased recordings from his archive.
- Meadows Of The Sea originally released in 1994 / album: Sarabande (Gaslight / GAS CD 501)
- also on SIR2110 / PAUL ROLAND - Bates Motel [Bonus Track: Meadows Of The Sea (unreleased re-recording, 2007)]



08 - SIR2135 / RAMSES - Firewall: 0 years RAMSES - this must be celebrated and what is better than with a new studio album!

The work includes 13 songs, in which the whole spectrum of musical expressiveness of this band comes to bear. That means: Timeless progrock that's focused on rhythm, intricate riffs and melodies. In the orchestration there is plenty of phantastic guitar work as well as a strong impact from a heavily equipped keyboard section. Another significant aspect of Tribute are the time-critical lyrics.
One of many highlights is certainly the long-awaited (by many fans and played in numerous concerts) classic "Look @ your neighbor", which is represented in two versions: One cut is recorded live at Balve cave and another version as a bonus track in a previously recorded version with the former singer Herbert Natho.
The album is called FIREWALL, the texts are of course influenced by the facts like the global crises of our time , but also personal feelings and hopes can be found in the texts, which are printed in the cover and will be explained shortly.
RAMSES are real Krautrock icons, their early albums "La Leyla" (1976) and "Eternity Rise" (1978) are still important, this brand new album shows the band as an outstanding part within the progressive spectrum.

09 - SIR4027 / RAMONES - The Musikladen Recordings:
On September 13th, 1978, the RAMONES were guests in the TV-studios of Radio Bremen. It was the first TV-appearance of the band in Europe at all. For the at that time successful TV-series MUSIKLADEN they played 25 titles in about 50 minutes and left an ecstatic audience. Here is this unbelievable appearance - unabridged with all encores for the first time on vinyl & DVD.
For the band it must have been quite a shock when they entered the stage at the TV-studio of Radio Bremen. Although the slightly ragged backdrop of MUSIKLADEN was okay to Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny and Marky Ramone, this was not valid to the main group of the audience. Styled and bored people sat in front of the stage as if they were a leftover from the last Baccara gig. Joerg Sonntag, today director and editor, former assistant of Mike Leckebusch, remembers in an interview (bonus-title on the DVD) that the night before the concert he strolled around the bars and pubs of Bremen and gave away free tickets. Therefore at least a part of the audience consisted of punks and rockers. The RAMONES did not taken aback due to this affected audience and played their concert with high professionalism and lots of fun to play together. The performed songs mostly compounded out of their first two albums. Finally they succeeded to leave an overwhelmed audience. For the American punk legends this first TV-appearance not only meant hardest work but also the final breakthrough in Europe.


10 - SIR2124 / THE KEEF HARTLEY BAND - Live at Aachen Pop Festival 1970: The Keef Hartley Band with their felicitous mix of Rock, Blues, and Jazz, which has been counted since 1968 being one of the hippest live bands of their era. Until 1973 they recorded 7 albums and played numerous concerts. Nucleus of the often changing cast amongst founder and drummer of the band, Keef Hartley, have been most of all singer and guitar player Miller Anderson as well as bass player Gary Thain. During their performance in Aachen in 1970 they have been boosted by Dave Caswell (trumpet) and Lyle Jenkins (saxophone, flute). With this team they started on Saturday, July 11th, 1970 around evening on the festival stage at Reiterstadion in Aachen. The band only played 4 songs that day, which completely are contained on the available cd. Even the iconic “Halfbreed Suite” of their homonymous debut album of 1968 lasted about half an hour. The Keef Hartley Band showed during their performance that they were really exceptionally gifted live musicians. Long lasting improvisations switching to tight organized arrangements, all belted by the bandleader behind his drum kit. Excellent as well: The guitar play of Miller Anderson, who also was responsible for most of the songs. The available recordings have been done semi-professionell with various mikes, which have been fixed at the light traverse, directly on audiotape. The quality is rough but a wonderful example of the fun playing the songs more than 43 years ago. Miller Anderson – who after the late Keef Hartley and Gary Thain – being the only original member of the legendary band, wrote some personal liner notes on this cd. Sireena Records is very proud to be able to presenting this rare sound-document.

A few words to Aachen Open Air 1970. It was held from July 10 to 12 in the Reiter-Stadium Aachen and was organized by three music-loving students. The festival was one of the very first open-air festivals in Germany and presented a mix of German and international rock bands. Admission cost DM 15,00 per day or DM 40.00 for all three days. But one had the pleasure to see experiencing acts like Pink Floyd, Free, Edgar Broughton Band, Caravan, Kevin Ayers, Deep Purple, Amon Duul II, Kraftwerk and, indeed, the Keef Hartley band live. Around 40,000 fans gathered on the three days at the festival site.

11 - SIR2130 / BAD NEWS REUNION - Lost And Found: First studioalbum since more then 30 Years!

Some of you have probably thought, more often than not, that the Hamburg-based westcoast legend BAD NEWS REUNION had given up and were about to quietly fade into oblivion. Sure, there were BNR live appearances every four or five years in which the guys dusted off the same old songs over and over. One of those gigs was even recorded and released as
»Just One Night« in 1998. And it had a couple of then new songs to boot. But the last time the musicians were in a recording studio was thirty-something years ago when they did »Two Steps Forward«. And now this. Twelve new songs, recorded
professionally in a ›studio‹, that is, in Uli’s basement. So how did this record come about? In the summer of 2012 Sireena Records re-released »Just One Night« and BNR thought it would be nice to promote the album with a Christmas-time oneoff
gig at the legendary Hamburg ›Fabrik‹. And it was a great evening that the band enjoyed as much as the six-hundred in the auditorium. And Tom Redecker of Sireena also liked what he heard. He suggested to record ›studio album‹. And here it is!
Mind you, the songs are not new. Let’s just say they were written a while ago. But most of you have never heard them, so they will be new to you. Some songs we had actually forgotten, like ›Come Over Here‹ dating from 1979, and others were lost – but found again when the band listened to a bunch of ancient reel-to-reel tapes and cassettes. So there you have the title – »Lost and Found«. Sadly, BAD NEWS REUNION has also lost one of Bad News Reunion’s founding members, Abi Wallenstein, who has opted to pursue his lifelong search for the heart of the blues. But, as Peter Urban likes to point out: “”we have found ourselves: a group of friends who make music together.” That’s it!


12 - SIR2127 / SCHAPER, ENGEL & McGROGAN - One or Zero - The Lost Album:
After playing the keyboards in Doldinger 's Passport for several years, Hendrik Schaper decided in 1981 to make his own album. He rented the Rüssl Studio in Hamburg and started the recording of "One Or Zero". Of course, Schaper's musical roots from the Osnabrück bands Tetragon and Trikolon played an equally significant role as the jazz-rock experience with Passport, his impressions of the Talking Heads and Devo also inspired and influenced this recording and became part of the sound (in addition to classics like The Who, Hendrix and AC/DC).
The 9 tracks on this album are totally unique and exhibit enormous variety. Bertram Engel, one of the most gifted drummers in Germany then and now, played the drums to give this recording its unique and funky groove. A stroke of luck landed Schaper with the Scottish singer Eddie McGrogan, who also wrote all the lyrics for the album.
But above all, Hendrik Schaper is brilliant on the keyboards. Not only did he play all the bass lines on the tracks, he rocked the synthesizers with such psychedelic sound gimmicks that the sound is virtually indistinguisable from the lead guitar. The listeners will hardly notice that a lead guitarist is missing! The songs are compact, grooving, incredibly virtuoso and simply timeless!

Despite the genius and originality of this recording, it has never been released since its creation in 1981, probably because of the fact that the „Neue Deutsche Welle“ (The German New Wave) back in the 1980's was resisting English-language music. With much luck, a copy of this recording landed at Sireena Records in the summer of 2013, who enthusiasticlly worked with Hendrik Schaper to make the debut of the "Lost Album" a reality.

Eddie McGrogan works and lives since then in Münster. Betram Engel plays in the Panikorchester of Udo Lindenberg as well as in the Peter Maffay's band. After a brief collaboration with Heinz Rudolf Kunze, Hendrik Schaper joined the Panikorchester of Udo Lindenburg, where he still plays today.

13 - SIR4026 / HOMELAND:
Nattefrost is Bjørn Jeppesen: All hardware & software synthesizers, vocoders and other various electronic equipment.
Danish musician Bjørn Jeppesen is releasing his solo music under the name Nattefrost. It all started in 1995 with a cassette tape including some dark ambient tracks. But Bjørn developed his music and made it more melodic and rhythmic over the years. So far Nattefrost has released 11 albums, 2 EP’s and is included on over 15 compilation CDs worldwide.
The new and 12th Nattefrost album entitled “Homeland” includes 6 tracks inspired by ancient Scandinavia. The music is a mixture of orchestral electronic music and vintage electronics with a lot of arpeggio sequences and melodic themes.
Very much in the style of the NATTEFROST era 2003-2007.
All tracks are instrumental and the title track runs for more than 20 minutes making it the longest NATTEFROST track ever.
“Homeland” is available on 180 Gram golden vinyl LP with gatefolded cover.
”Homeland” should appeal to the fans of the old school electronic synth stuff but also to the fans of orchestral soundtrack like music.