News: Laurence Vanay albums to come out on Lion!!!

December 8, 2013 update: The Vanay albums have been released!

As if yesterday's news wasn't big enough, I heard from Vincent (Lion Productions' owner) last night who informed me that the first two Vanay albums are coming out on both CD and LP! The CD will be a mini-LP sleeve and will contain many bonus tracks (perhaps from the mythical last 2 albums, or from the Magic Slows album - I'm not sure yet). No date has been given for release. These are Priority 1's for me, especially Galaxies, an album of pure genius. Our feature of her albums here.

Vincent says: "I've just signed a contract with Jacqueline Thibault to reissue "Galaxies" and "Evening Colours" (at least), both (mini-LP sleeve) CD versions with plentiful bonus tracks; both LP versions as straight-up LP reissues (I think). I'm still sorting through the many CDs of music she sent to me before we determine what exactly will be included on my re-releases."

With news of Rock Joint Biwa, Het Pandorra Ensemble and Laurence Vanay, April has proven to be one of the most exciting months in years concerning reissues! Let's hope it continues.

News: Modulus to reissue Het Pandorra Ensemble!!

Wow - big news today! I've been sitting on this for awhile now, and I'm glad it's now official.

Before getting into the first release, the naming contest is officially over. The Laser's Edge new limited reissue series will be called Modulus. Congratulations to the poster that named it!

And Modulus' first reissue is a Priority 2 for us. This is a very auspicious beginning for the label, and we can only hope more will appear as time goes on. The fact the first reissue is a rare and obscure Dutch group proves that Modulus will not be a US only label. Here's our post on the album.

Ken states: "The first planned release that we have contracted for is Het Pandorra Ensemble "III". It will feature the original 1978 release plus assorted unreleased bonus tracks (still being sorted out by Dolph Planteijdt). Bob Katz will handle the mastering from the original analog tapes. It will be a strictly limited edition of 500 copies. Since this is not going through normal distribution channels. I have not established an exact release date but I hope to have it available sometime during the early part of the Summer."

Ken's shared with me some other potential reissues, and they're all exciting possibilities!

New blog: Under the Radar CDs

This is an idea I've had in the back of my mind for awhile. Basically a similar blog style to this, but featuring either obscure progressive rock CDs of the past - or - newer bands that are receiving very little press and I think deserve more notice.

For a more detailed explanation and to see the first album featured - the blog is now up and running!

And don't worry, we still have plenty more albums to add to the CDRWL!

News: Karthago Live at The Roxy reissued by Made in Germany

And a followup to the last post, Made in Germany also plans to reissue Karthago's Live at the Roxy (1976) as a 2 CD set. Just like the "Victor" album, this one did get pressed by the parent Bacillus label back in the late 1980s. Looks like MiG cut a deal to get these back into the market. I'm sure they will do a great job as always, and will be the desired end product to own. Even though Karthago are typically labeled a Krautrock band, they're in reality more a plain US styled rock n roll group. I have a couple of friends that are huge fans of the group, so I know this will be a much welcome reissue for many.

News: Rigoni / Schoenherz reissued by Made in Germany

Made in Germany appears to be the successor to the InsideOut.de reissue series that started last decade. They're slowly adding more and more interesting titles. Last year they surprised us with the 3 CD set by Niagara. Now we learn that MiG is reissuing the epic double LP by Rigoni / Schoenherz. This is not the first time for the album to find itself on CD, as it was reissued by the parent label Bacillus in the late 1980s, but it's been OOP forever. To be perfectly honest, I never cared for this Austrian album much personally. But I know many of you will be pleased to see this.

Label says: "Before Richard Schönherz became famous as creator of the "Rilke" - and "Hesse" projects, in 1975 he created - along with Manuel Rigoni - the concept work "Victor".

"Victor" is still considered a milestone of prog-rock, a concept album that creates the balance between orchestrated classic and sophisticated rock in a unique way.

With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Academy Chamber Choir, musicians such as the recently deceased Kurt Hauenstein (Supermax), Harry Stojka, Achim Buchstab or Johan Daansers, "Victor" became a cinematic masterpiece about the power of youth and a plea for deference to authority, war and cruelty.

Partly recorded and mixed in the legendary Abbey Road Studios, "Victor" still is a timeless work that is worth exploring.

The MIG-new edition contains the complete, extensive booklet of the vinyl edition and has been lovingly remastered.

TRACKLISTING:

The Invitation
The Head Of The Circus Sings For His Beloved Audience
Who Is Victor
Victor's Song For Himself
Victor's Song For His Father
Where Is Victor
Victor's Dream
Victor's Song For The White Man
The Song Of Life

CREDITS:
Produced by Peter Hauke
All lyrics, music and arrangements by
Manuel Rigoni and Richard Schoenherz
Symphonic Orchestra composed and arranged
by Richard Schoenherz, dedicated to Sonja

Recorded at
Abbey Road Studios, Chipping Norton Studio, AIR Studios England, Europa Sound Studio, Germany Austrophon Studio, Vienna

Engineered by
Peter Bown, Barry Hammond, Fred Schreier, Hartmut Pfannmüller, Steve Nye, Gregor Hornacek, Wolfgang Engel

Remixed at
Abbey Road Studios, Advision Studios, AIR Studios
Remixing engineers
Peter Bown, Dec O'Doherty, Peter Henderson

Personel
Richard Schoenherz - keyboards, lead vocals
Manuel Rigoni - drums, percussion
Kurt Hauenstein - bass, lead vocals on "Song Of Life"
Harry Stojka - guitars
Achim Buchstab - lead vocals on "Who Is Victor" and "Where Is Victor"
Johan Daansen - guitars
Peter Wolf - ARP on "The Invitation"
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Wiener Akademie Kammerchor

Cover Art by Karl Strnad
Photographs by Kurt Waldert and Karl Strnad "

News: Shadoks reissues O Bando from Brazil

Interesting new batch of CDs and LPs from Shadoks. As usual with the deep divers at Shadoks, not all is relevant to our site, but I cherry picked a few out. Since this is the CDRWL, we'll start with the shiny thing.

I haven't heard O Bando prior, but in typical Shadoks fashion, it appears they reissued it on LP first. As you'll see below, I generally try to seek some of these vinyl albums out as well, but I just missed this title altogether. The label says:

O Bando was recorded in 1969 in São Paulo by 5 guys and a beautiful singer Marisa Fossa. The production was state of the art hosted by the 3 top producer of Brazil. For 1969 it was recorded in Scatena studios in São Paulo with 8 channels equipment which was the best you can get at this time. The music has sophisticated brass arrangements very much like the same level as US bands Chicago Transit Authority, The Flock and Blood Sweat & Tears with the charm and rhythms of Brazil Exotics. If you like the album by Liverpool this one would be for you. A real summer record, should make the stoned Psychedelic listener move his hips and dance or at least nod their feet. Great guitars, smashing vocals, Samba rhythm, horns, tons of effects, a real trip to Brazilian underground music. One of the best!

Perhaps even more interesting is their new lineup of obscure LPs. I don't usually call these out, since that's not the purpose of our list, but what the heck - I'm already here. And there's a good chance all of these will see a CD reissue from the label sometime in the future. The Eugene Carnan (band name, not person) in particular could be promising, especially if it lives up to the groups its being compared to. I also included the second Bump LP, which was part of their last batch of releases. I didn't care much for the first album by them, but this sounds more interesting - on paper at least.

Label descriptions below:



Here is a great surprise for us. An unknown UK album with such a great musical potential. Musically it is a very powerful guitar dominated underground rock such as Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Dark or Grannie. The rarety factor is way above all those other rare UK album, which stay in low pressings of 99 copies and 15-20 such as Dark. This one has been pressed only 4 times ever. In September 1971 Eugene Carnan entered a UK-wide competition for “Best New Band” run by the famous Melody Maker magazine, they recorded the album in 1972 and took it to London to Eden Studios for a demo pressing and cut 4 acetates. Eugene Carnan a 3 piece band are from Sheffield, UK with guitar & vocals, bass and drums. All own composition. A killer album from beginning to end.



1968 Hollywood, USA. The Churchill Downs recorded 16 great tracks at the studio from famous producer Gary S. Paxton. The band was very young at the time but the musical output was on the highest level you can imagine with a damn good production. How can a band like this not become famous is a mystery. Fantastic compositions, great multi vocal singing, strong guitars, organ, drums, bass, effects, everything you desire to get catchy Underground songs with tons of great ideas in it to make those songs unique and out of bounce and not middle of the road. It is just what we love about the productions of Phil Spector and Andrew Loog Oldham. The Churchill Downs are one of the best US unknown albums among Beauregard Ajax and Public Nuisance. With Don Adey on guitar & vocals, Gary Dalton Stovall guitar & vocals, Dirk Acree bass & vocals, Mick Newton keyboards & vocals, Al Stigler & Fred Darling on drums. If we could go back in time, lets say 40+ years and release this album in 1968 we would have been rich. Why this album was never been pressed is still a mystery. So for the first time ever those great songs made it onto vinyl. We love it.



BUMP 2 (the unreleased second album) was recoded in 1971, just a year later after the debut album, also on Pioneer Records and also produced by Gary A. Rubin. Paul Lupien - organ / George Runyan - bass, vocals / Alan Goldman - guitar / Jerome Charles Greenberg - drums recorded 8 great tracks which never came out so far. We could even use the original artwork. This is a fantastic prog / psychedelic monster LP, a mixture of dreamy organ psych with heavy fuzz bluster, very much like CA Quintet. Ghostly swirly organs, burning rough guitars, sound effects, fuzz/wahwah guitars, trippy lysergic vocals and great melodies. A killer album from start to end.

News: Sony to reissue Rock Joint Biwa and Rock Joint Sitar!!!!

In the WOW!!! category comes this amazing news out of Japan. The Alaskan Connection gave me the heads up 3 days ago (which I saw via my iPhone), and I've been bursting to share, but unfortunately couldn't get to the computer while away for business.

We featured the Rock Joint Biwa album back in December as part of our duo of very rare Japanese albums. This is the album commonly referred to as Fulukotofumi.

Interesting to note that the albums will be issued under the name Hiromasa Suzuki.

Since that post, I have heard parts of the Rock Joint Sitar album (courtesy of a YouTube video that the AC sent me - you can Google for it under the Hiromasa name). It's definitely more in the jazz realm than the Biwa album.

Here's the note the AC sent me. Thanks again for letting me know!

"It turns out that both of the Rock Joint albums are finally being reissued! They're being done by Sony Music, and are due to be released on May 25 at a price of 2100 Yen each. It should be noted that the artist name being used for these is Hiromasa Suzuki or Hiromasa Suzuki Trio. For some reason, the Sony Music Japan site still doesn't have anything up about this, but they've been listed on all the major Japanese retailers now, and I've spoken to a couple of Japanese sources who have confirmed that these are definitely coming. To say these reissues are necessary is an understatement, as the price on the originals has really gotten out of control. I just saw another copy of Rock Joint Sitar go for over $1000, and it was just the regular 2-channel version, and a rather beat-up looking example at that. As I mentioned, pretty much all of the Japanese webshops will be carrying these, but here are the Amazon Japan links just so you can see for yourself:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/ロック・ジョイント琵琶%7E組曲-ふることふみ-鈴木宏昌/dp/B004U7LJW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8& qid=1302052831&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.jp/ロック・ジョイント・シタール%7E組曲-シルクロード-鈴木宏昌トリオ/dp/B004U7LJKE/ref=sr_1_2?s=music& ie=UTF8&qid=1302052931&sr=1-2"

News: BTF reissues Robert Genco's "Beyond the Life (Oltre la Vita)"

Midwest Mike wrote in this week to let me know about this title, which I hadn't heard of prior. BTF says this about it:

"1977: was the year in which Italian Progressive Rock was closing its vital cycle, tough there were still two masterpieces of its kind to be released: one is the famous Locanda delle Fate, while the second and was left for too long in the vaults, as it has never been reissued for almost 40 years: we talk of Robert Genco’s “Beyond the life”. Given that the drummer Robert Genco must not be confused with Robert
Genco of 'Genco Puro and co, "Beyond the Life is a wonderful prog rock album, where the drummer blends Italian prog, with an ultra-sophisticated jazz-rock. The influences are kaleidoscopic, with the opening track (Angoscia) that runs through the streets of jazz prog at its best: James Senese and Napoli Centrale, Osanna, but also Perigeo. The title track " Beyond the Life” could almost be described as a tribute to the PFM, while" All recomposes "is prog rock close to Yes and Genesis. The B side is a long suite which summarizes the influences cited before, by adding flavors of Chick Corea, Dedalus, Canzoniere del Lazio, but with an extremely progressive drumming. A gem of rare beauty, finally rediscovered!

Paperlseeve package with extended liner notes. With two bonus tracks!"