Music For Nations Presents: STRIKTLY FOR KONNOISSEURS - LP 1

In the '80s, Kerrang! Magazine was 'the one' you needed to check to be updated if Hard Rock / AOR / Heavy Metal was your thing. Their journalists in conjunction with the recently founded (and now legendary) Music For Nations label, compiled songs from American / Canadian bands that were pretty unknown at the moment and released a double-LP album under the title "Striktly For Konnoisseurs".
Despite its 'Germanic' title the vinyl was intended for the British audience, and only was pressed & published in UK.

You have here great tracks mostly taken from the first albums (late '70s / early '80s) of bands that later become pretty successful, like Legs Diamond, Angel (turned Giuffria), Wrabit, etc, besides wonderful cuts from acts that deserved to be huge such as Trillion, 707, Balance, and more.

Many of these albums were already reissued on CD some time ago, but others will remain forever into oblivion as the Reggie Knighton Band, Marcus or the awesome Mayday.
However, I have preserved the original full vinyl-rip because some tracks seems to be featured with a different mix, or, as happens with Canadian hard rockers Moxy's "Another Time Another Place", it's an exclusive version to this compilation.



I took notice of "Striktly For Konnoisseurs" some years ago thanks to a great collector (and frequent visitor of this blog) Mr. Homer64, who provided me a copy.
This is a new vinyl-rip, done by an English friend of mine and restored / cleaned / enhanced by me.
A true collectors piece.


LP 1

01 - 1994 - Please Stand By
02 - Legs Diamond - It's Not The Music
03 - Desmond Child & Rouge - The Truth Came Out
04 - American Tears - Can't Keep
05 - 707 - Megaforce
06 - Marcus - Black Magic
07 - Reckless - Searching For A Dream
08 - Wrabit - Just Go Away
09 - Moxy - Another Time Another Place
10 - Tantrum - Applaud The Winner
11 - Zon - Circus
12 - Balance - Undercover Man




STRIKTLY FOR KONNOISSEURS LP 1
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V.A. - Heard It On The Radio Vol.4 [Rdeg] (2011)

"Heard It On The Radio" CD series were released by the now disppeared label Renaissance comprising long lost 45 rpm singles from the late seventies / earlier eighties never obtainable on digital format before.
Ironically, few or these were radio hits - in fact, many of them are rather obscure - but should have been.
The prime intention of the label was the rescue from oblivion of these good '80s songs and made them available in good audio quality not only for musicologists and archivists, but for true lovers of the AOR / rock&pop that once ruled FM radio airwaves.

There were 3 volumes (already featured here), while in 2001 two more (Vol. 4 & 5) were presented only as 'promo' just to promote original album reissues from some of the artists included.
The "Heard It On The Radio" series were resurrected some years ago by the marketing label RDEG, re-releasing the official first three volumes, and then the previously not for sale Vol. 4 & 5, but with a slightly different tracklist due legal / permission issues.

Now we have here the RDEG Vol.4. As you can see, a couple of tracks are repeated from the previous volumes to fill the slot of the not authorized songs. The sound quality and mastering is not as good as on the Renaissance releases, but this collection includes really enjoyable tunes.
Well known Melodic Rock / AOR acts like Balance, Charlie and New England are mixed with more obscure bands like Fast Forward, Point Blank or Planet P Project, the science fiction-themed band put together by Tony Carey.
Get it while it's hot. Enjoy.


01 - 707 - I Could Be Good for You
02 - Balance - Breaking Away
03 - Charlie - It's Inevitable
04 - Chilliwack - My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)
05 - Clocks - She Looks a Lot Like You
06 - Fast Forward - Where Did the Time Go
07 - Glass Moon - On a Carousel
08 - Keats - Turn Your Heart Around
09 - Kelly Groucutt - Am I a Dreamer (New Version)
10 - New England - Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya
11 - Planet P Project - What I See
12 - Point Blank - Nicole
13 - Red 7 - Relentless
14 - Shooting Star - Summer Sun
15 - Walter Egan - Fool Moon Fire
16 - Wild Blue - Fire With Fire

Heard It On The Radio Vol.4
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AOR TREASURES - The Seminal Years 80 - 83

Already it has been three years since I did my first compilations for this site.
The aim was to introduce some uncommon AOR / Melodic Rock bands and encourage readers to explore this genre.
But I'd only covered the years 1986 to 1993 across two volumes.

Well, I have taken up the idea and it's fair completing the circle with all those who 'started all' at the beginning of the glorious decade (1980-1983), also with a forthcoming volume covering the 84-85 period.
Again, no major acts like Survivor, Journey, etc.

Years have passed and today it's pretty easy to get material from these bands browsing the web.
But not always ripped at highest CD quality and most of them from remastered reissues.
DVC was never officially released on CD, but this rip is from the bootleg edition that sounds really good.
Other bands difficult to find on CD are CALL ME and VERITY's debut.

As said, absolute classics, 320K CD rips, the vast majority remastered.
Load your iPod or your car stereo with these wonderful songs and rock 'til you drop!


01 - Aldo Nova - Fantasy (1982)
02 - Balance - I'm Through Loving You (1981)
03 - ArcAngel - Tragedy (1983)
04 - Preview - Open Your Heart (1983)
05 - Prism - Wired (1982)
06 - Hughes-Thrall - The Look In Your Eye (1982)
07 - Call Me - Running Out Of Love (1981)
08 - Alliance - Make It Right (1982)
09 - Shelter - On The Line (1983)
10 - Le Roux - Lifeline (1983)
11 - Harlequin - Innocence (1980)
12 - Grand Prix - Give Me What's Mine (1982)
13 - i-TEN - Time To Say Goodbye (1983)
14 - Thrills - You Don't Remember Me (1981)
15 - D V C - Let Me Be Your Fantasy (1981)
16 - RPM - Firestarter (1982)
17 - Streets - So Far Away (1983)
18 - Verity - Love Is Blind (1983)


Back Tray preview, CLICK HERE:




AOR TREASURES - The Seminal Years
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BALANCE - In For The Count (1982)

Remastered + bonus


This is a re-post of the original thread: May 07, 2007
Link updated with the remastered version plus 2 bonus tracks, CDrip @ 320Kbps.

In the early 1980s there was a sort of superband that never got the attention they deserved.
The band was called BALANCE and featured the famous session musicians Bob Kulick on guitars, Peppy Castro on vocals and Doug Katsaros on keys.

Their music though was typical early 80s American AOR/Radiorock that should have been on top of the charts, because around the same time similar acts as SURVIVOR, JOURNEY and FOREIGNER scored massive hits while BALANCE had to split up after a couple of years because of the lack of success.

However, what remains are two albums that are a MUST for the AOR fan.
Musically it is very close to FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, SURVIVOR, FOREIGNER or JOURNEY.
The lead vocals of Peppy Castro are a cross between Franke Previte (lead singer of Franke & The Knockouts) and Mike Reno (Loverboy).
Don't be scared by the year of release, this sounds like late '80 bands, brillant and crisp production.
A MUST HAVE.
If you like it, BUY IT.


1 In for the Count 4:52
2 Is It Over 3:06
3 Slow Motion 4:26 (Awesome Track!)
4 Undercover Man 4:29
5 On My Honor 3:34
6 All the Way 3:39
7 Pull the Plug 3:41
8 Bedroom Eyes 3:56
9 We Can Have It All 3:44
10 Ride The Wave (bonus) 3:47
11 She's Alone Tonight (bonus) 3:09

Peppy Castro: lead and backing vocals
Bob Kulick: guitars
Doug Katsaros: keyboards, backing vocals
Chuck Burgi (Rainbow): drums, percussion
Dennis Feldman: bass



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