Sanctuary ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Sanctuary. 1971 Veritas

***Reissued by Sundazed Sep 2022

Kansas based progressive rock group, with remnants of psych, somewhat typical of the US rock scene of 1971. They take the unusual course of covering Yes' Time and a Word, plus an Edgar Winter Group composition stretched to 20 minutes. Some folky bits and lots of mellotron for fans of the style. 

Priority: 3

7/2/10 (new entry); 9/2/22 (complete)

This Oneness ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Surprize. 1975 Oz

***Reissued by the band in a 3 CD set with two unreleased albums Nov 2022 

UMR review

Priority: 2

5/22/10; 8/13/22 (complete)

Tullio de Piscopo ~ Italy ***REISSUED***

Tullio de Piscopo Revolt Group - Sotto e 'ncoppa. 1975 Carosello

Tullio de Piscopo Vol. 2. 1976 Carosello

***Both reissued by New Platform Aug 2022

De Piscopo is a well known jazz percussionist (to this day), who ventured into progressive fusion in the mid 1970s. First he played with The New Trolls, then he released these two fusion albums with some excellent Fender Rhodes, sax and guitar action. De Piscopo reminds me most of Toni Esposito's albums from the same era. Sotto e 'ncoppa features Sante Palumbo who was also on the Sway album. Vol. 2 is more diverse, mixing in period disco, acoustic folk, tight fusion, and rock versions of traditional Italian sing-a-longs. I felt this was the stronger of the two releases. Thanks to Midwest Mike! 

Priority: 3

9/28/09 (new entry); 8/6/22 (complete)

Jukka Hauru ~ Finland ***REISSUED***

Information. 1972 Finnlevy

Episode. 1975 Love

***Information reissued by Lipposen Levy Ja Kasetti in 2021

***Episode reissued by Lipposen Levy Ja Kasetti in 2022

UMR review page

Episode is quite a bit different than Information, and moves towards the center of the Euro fusion movement. But it's a really good example of the style, with tight playing and Hauru proves to be once again quite adept with the electric six stringer. As an aside, Jukka Linkola plays keyboards here, and he as well fronted a fine fusion album.

Priority: 2

3/25/11 (new entry); 8/3/22 (complete)

Kebnekaise ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***

Ljus Från Afrika. 1976 Silence
Elefanten. 1977 Silence
Vi Drar Vidare. 1978 Mercury

***Reissued by Japan Arcangelo, Jul 2022.

Vi Drar Vidare still hasn't been reissued, but for purposes of this list I'm considering this complete.

UMR reviews

Priority: 2

12/4/10 (new entry); 7/15/22 (complete)

Ole G. Nilssen ~ Norway ***REISSUED***

Ole G. Nilssen - World of Dreams. 1976 Apollo 

***Reissued by Norske Album Classics 2022 

Future Solaris member Nilssen put out this one incredibly obscure album before he himself disappeared into the ether. I've had this one on a curiosity list for well over 10 years, and finally in 2009 I had a chance to hear it, due to a good friend of this site. So was it worth the effort? Rarely is the answer yes in these cases, and World of Dreams is no exception, but this is a mighty fine album for certain. Light years better than the subpar Solaris Misty Morning album. At its core, World of Dreams is a soft rock vocal album. But there are long sections dedicated to instrumentals, and its these sections that are clearly progressive rock influenced, with 1970s era instrumentation. Like a lot of soft rock, the songwriting is better than average, and Nilssen possesses a fine voice, and so the combination is highly appealing, even if not consistent. One I'm glad I finally heard. 

Priority: none

3/24/10 (new entry); 5/4/22 (complete)

St. Helena ~ Norway ***REISSUED***

St. Helena - Hello Friend 1974 (1992 Colours) 

***Reissued by Norske Album Classics in Mar 2022

St. Helena play a very complex progressive sound akin to the UK scene at the time. Matches closest with the band Gracious! on their debut. I also hear parallels to another classic Norway band, Junipher Greene, especially from their Friendship album. Unfortunately the album is under 25 minutes, but it's time well spent. Only an archive LP exists, from the late great Colours label. Would be nice to pair this with the archival Hades album, that is also under 25 minutes. 

Priority: 3

5/19/10; 5/4/22 (complete)

Blow Out ~ Norway ***REISSUED***

Blow Out. 1977 Compendium 

***Reissued by Norske Album Classics May 2022

An excellent example of the late 70's all-things fusion era. Typical with no surprises, but superbly executed and is worth seeking out. Highlights include some fuzz bass and exquisite electric lead guitar.

Priority: 3

6/17/10 (new entry); 5/4/22 (complete)

Dionysos ~ Canada ***REISSUED***

Le Grande Jeu. 1970 Jupiter

UMR review

Le Prince Croule. 1972 Zodiaque

Priority: 2

7/3/09 (new entry); 4/8/22 (complete)

Ragnarok ~ New Zealand ***REISSUED***

Ragnarok. 1975 Revolution
Nooks. 1976 Polydor

***Debut reissued by Frenzy in 2022.

***Nooks was reissued long ago in Japan. It's legit but from vinyl. Need a better reissue.

UMR review

Priority: 3

10/25/10 (new entry); 3/11/22 (complete)

Cruciferius ~ France ***REISSUED***

Cruciferius - A Nice Way of Life. 1970 Barclay

***Reissued by Musea in 2022.

Like a lot of people, I was drawn to this title due to the Magma connection, in particular one Bernard Paganotti. I had a chance to hear this album in the late 80s, and it didn't sound anything like Magma. Therefore it isn't any good! What? Ah, the impetuousness of youth! Recently I had the opportunity to hear the album in full for the first time objectively. And what you find is a band with similar influences to Magma at this time. A mix of jazz, pop, and psych exploring the boundaries of rock during this era. It's not a common sound for France, though one can find similarities in groups such as Alice, Eden Rose, Frantz, Iris,and yes, even Magma's sprawling LP double set. And their side group Univeria Zekt. 

Priority: 3

5/4/15 (new entry); 3/16/22 (complete)

Motiffe ~ England ***REISSUED***

Motiffe. 1972 Derby

***Reissued by Seelie Court 2021 

UMR review

4/11/10 (new entry); 3/5/22 (complete)

Priority: 3

Wolfgang Bock ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Cycles. 1980 Telefunken

***Reissued by Made in Germany Mar 2022

Electronic music with real drums. If you love Klaus Schulze's Moondawn, you will love this. One of the best in the electronic style. Some of his later albums are on CD, but not this one, his debut. 

Priority: 2

9/19/09 (new entry); 3/5/22 (complete)

Circus ~ Switzerland ***REISSUED***

Circus - s/t. 1976 Zyt.
Circus - Movin' On. 1977 Zyt. (the 1990 CD on Decoder is long deleted)
Circus - All-Star Band Live. 1978 Zyt.
Circus - Tearless Fearless and Evenless. 1980 Illuminatus.

*** All reissued by Belle Antique Jan 2022. Movin' On was originally reissued in 1990.

Oops. I had intended on adding Circus at the beginning of the blog when I was publishing my already-established Priority 1's. Then came the announcement from the German label Sireena that they were going to reissue the debut album (which has sadly fallen through), and I put the entry on hold. And then I forgot about it! So this entry is long overdue.

UMR review

My review for Gnosis (dated 2006) for the debut stated: "The Swiss quartet Circus is as diverse as the country itself. Though based in the Germanic city of Basle, Circus does not recall any band that is typically known as Krautrock. And their instrumentation is highly unusual, featuring only flute, bass, drums/percussion and vocals with occasional saxophone and acoustic guitar. With such a stripped down line-up one would expect a more minimal recording, but in fact Circus have quite the full sound. Much of this has to with bandleader Marco Cerletti’s bass gymnastics. Through pedals and effects, he obtains guitar and organ like textures, while also maintaining that wonderful “woody” bass sound that can often drive a recording. Of course, the dedicated flute player helps immensely in the melody and solo department. Though most known for their second album “Movin’ On”, arguably Switzerland’s finest progressive rock moment, this debut is not one to overlook. More subdued than its successor, it nonetheless packs a wallop, through dynamic change, when you least expect it. Again, easy comparisons are tough with Circus, but UK stalwarts Van der Graaf Generator come to mind in the vocal department (courtesy of Roland Frei), and the constant counterpoint allows us to pull out the Gentle Giant credit card. There’s also a sophisticated chamber music feel throughout."

As mentioned above, "Movin' On" is widely considered their masterpiece, and I concur. The legit CD on Decoder (1990) is criminally out of print, and this album is often bootlegged, as demand remains high. "All Star Band-Live" is pretty much a jam session, and completely moves away from the intricate and delicate compositions of the first two albums. It's a huge disappointment from my perspective. The final album is a very good comeback, though Circus are beginning to incorporate some AOR influences. Perhaps the best comparison here would be the Swiss band Flame Dream at the time of "Out in the Dark".

My notes for Tearless, Fearless, and Even Less: "Fearless, Tearless and Even Less is the 4th album from Circus. It's 1980, so the band predictably began to move toward the center and play a kind of proggy AOR that is often more found in North America. The highlight here being 'Leave It or Love It'. That would be Side 1. It would seem that Side 2 is dedicated to their progressive rock side considering the two long tracks. And it is, except they lack the dynamism of Circus' past, and turn in a Pink Floyd-ish snoozer. I preferred the AOR side honestly. A good album, but one hopes for better from Circus.". This one is a Priority 3.

Priority: 1 (for Movin' On)

11/26/10 (new entry); 1/25/22 (complete)

Mackenzie Theory ~ Australia ***REISSUED***

Bon Voyage. 1974 Mushroom

***Reissued by Aztec Aug 2021

UMR review

Priority: 3

4/16/11 (new entry); 8/26/21 (complete)

Dhope ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Musical Exhibitions. 1978 Harz

***Reissued by Garden of Delights Aug 2021

UMR review

Priority: 3

9/16/13 (new entry); 8/15/21 (complete)

Angipatch ~ France ***REISSUED***

Vie. 1981 private

Delirium. 1982 private

***Reissued by Musea in 2021

Angipatch's debut Vie is a fine example of the dramatic French progressive style ala Ange and Mona Lisa. Of course, this is a more amateurish production, typical of the early 1980s, but the effort is sincere and certainly worth seeking out. Perhaps Elohim's Le Mana Perdu would be a good reference. On Delirium, Angipatch mixes neo prog with new wave synth pop and French vocals, and is a huge step down from the debut. Disappointing. 

Priority: 3 (for Vie)

9/18/10 (new entry); 7/3/21 (complete)

Moose Loose ~ Norway ***REISSUED***

Elgen Er Løs. 1974 MAI 

Transition. 1976 Vertigo

***Both albums reissued by Norske Albumklassikere in Mar/May 2021***

UMR review

Priority: 2

8/17/10 (new entry); 5/15/21 (complete)

Noah ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Brain Suck. 1969 (archival)

***Reissued by Guerssen May 2021

UMR review

Priority: 2

12/20/09 (new entry); 5/14/21 (complete)

Ma Banlieue Flasque ~ France ***REISSUED***

Ma Banlieue Flasque. 1979 Celluloid

***reissued by the band Mar 2021

UMR review

Priority: 2

6/27/10 (new entry); 3/31/21 (complete)

Octopus ~ Norway ***REISSUED***

Thaerie Wiighen. 1981 private 

***Reissued by Norske Albumklassikere in May 2021

Extremely rare symphonic album, with an incredible cover and libretto booklet insert. The music is not unlike many of the Swiss private progressive albums found in this list (Eloiteron, Agamemnon, Sicher, etc...). Also the Norwegian band Thule, who came along a few years later, would be a reference. 

Priority: 3

10/12/09; 3/16/21 (complete)

Saga ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***

Saga. 1974 Sonet

***Reissued by Arcangelo in 2020  

UMR review

Priority: 1

8/8/09 (new entry); 12/16/20 (complete)

Jackie Orszaczky ~ Australia ***REISSUED***

Jackie Orszaczky - Beramiada. 1975 Real. 

***Reissued by Aztec Sep 2020

Naturalized Australian citizen Orszaczky (RIP 2008), most known as the bass player for the Hungarian band Syrius as well as the Australian group Bakery, put together this fine progressive, sometimes funky, fusion album with the guitarist from Blackfeather. A good choice for Aztec. 

Priority: 3

6/4/10 (new entry); 9/20/20 (complete)

Scope ~ Netherlands ***REISSUED***

Scope. 1974 Atlantic
Scope II. 1975 Atlantic

***Both albums reissued (separately) by Sireena in 2020

UMR review

Priority: 2

8/6/09 (new entry); 7/3/20 (complete)

Sab ~ Japan ***REISSUED***

Crystallization. 1978 Vanity

***Reissued by Remodel in 2020

On the super rare Vanity label (Dada, Aunt Sally, etc...). Sab is primarily a tranquil electronic album including some sequencing, with solo segments for sitar and piano. I have to imagine that both Klaus Schulze and Popol Vuh were a huge influence here - and both were highly popular in Japan at this time.

Priority: none

I'm still a bit concerned about the legitimacy of this reissue. It's the only one on the label, but the markings are good. Considering it complete unless other data emerges.

12/7/09 (new entry); 2020 (complete)

Nattura ~ Iceland ***REISSUED***

Náttúra - Magic Key. 1972 private

***Reissued by Belle Antique Apr 2020

UMR review

Priority: 1

7/20/09 (new entry); 4/25/20 (complete)

Randy Holden ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Randy Holden - Population II. 1970 Hobbit

***Reissued by Ridin Easy Apr 2020

UMR review

Priority: 3

12/12/13 (new entry); 4/6/20 (complete)

Popera Cosmic ~ France ***REISSUED***

Les Esclaves. 1969 CBS

***Reissued by Musea Jan 2020

UMR review

Priority: 3

7/31/10 (new enthry); 1/7/20 (complete)

Tortilla Flat ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Für ein ¾ Stündchen. 1975 private

***Reissued by Long Hair Nov 2019

UMR review

Priority: 1

6/18/09 (new entry); 10/24/19 (complete)

Legend ~ USA ***REISSUED***

From the Fjords. 1979 Empire

***Reissued by Cult Rock (Cult Metal) Classics of Greece 2019

UMR review

Priority: 2

6/27/09 (new entry); 10/17/19 (complete)

Peak ~ Australia ***REISSUED***

Peak - Ebondazzar. 1982 Cement (1983 Innovative Communications)

***Reissued by Round About Oct 2019

Here's an album I must have passed over 100 times in the used record bins, thinking it was some kind of New Wave album, that was somewhat typical of Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communications label. Then a friend of this site sent me the LP recently to check out.

Peak play in the style of "electronic rock", a place that Tangerine Dream visited with their Cyclone and Force Majeure albums. There are no vocals here (some samples), but for the most part this is driving sequencer based electronic with some wonderful electric guitar, and quite a bit of invention. 

Priority: 2

***6/10/24 update: Just learned about this reissue while researching the entry.

12/18/09 (new entry); 10/15/19 (complete)

Splash ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***

Splash - Ut På Vischan. 1972 Polydor
Splash - s/t. 1974 PLA
Splash - Splash 2. 1978 PLA

***All albums reissued by the band in 2019 in a 5 CD + 1 CDR box set.

UMR review

Priority: 2

9/27/10 (new entry); 10/9/19 (complete)

Atila ~ Spain ***REISSUED***

Reviure. 1978 Odeon

***Reissued by Belle Antique Aug 2019

UMR review

Priority: 1

9/21/09 (new entry); 8/25/19 (complete)

Firyuza ~ Turkmenistan ***REISSUED***

Firyuza. 1980 Melodya

***Reissued by Soviet Grail Aug 2019

UMR review

Priority: 2

8/11/10 (new entry); 8/1/19 (complete)

The Grodeck Whipperjenny ~ USA ***REISSUED***

The Grodeck Whipperjenny. 1970 People

***Reissued by Now Again Apr 2019

UMR review

Priority: 2

8/31/09 (new entry); 4/26/19 (complete)

Group 1850 ~ Netherlands ***REISSUED***

Live. Release: 1973 Orange. Recorded: 1969
Polyandri. 1974 Rubber
Live on Tour. 1976 Rubber. Recorded: 1973

***All albums reissued by Pseudonym in 2019 as part of the Purple Sky box

UMR review

Priority: 2

6/30/09 (new entry); 10/17/15; 4/19/19 (complete)

Nemo ~ France ***REISSUED***

Nemo. 1973 Agave
Doin' Nuthin'. 1974 Agave

***Both albums reissued by Musea Apr 2019

Nemo are a mix of funk, rock, jazz fusion. First album has more vocals and recalls to mind Santana in places (the best parts actually). 'Doin' Nuthin', their sophomore effort, is mainly instrumental. Good stuff overall and features Francois Breant, who later had some success as a solo artist. Both albums are similar in their eclectic style.

Priority: 3

6/29/10 (new entry); 4/2/19 (complete)

Time ~ England ***REISSUED***

Time. 1975 Buk

***Reissued by Belle Antique (Japan) March 25, 2019

UMR review

Priority: 1

6/13/09 (new entry); 3/25/19 (complete)

Soular System ~ France

Birth of Paradise. 1976 BASF

Soular System's sole album was a mystery for years, but recent data has come to light. The only name associated with it prior was James Bolden (or Buddy Bolden), who was supposedly Canadian. Bzzt! Turns out Bolden was one of many alias' for a Jacques Pépino, mostly recognized as David Christie - a French pop singer most known for some early 80s hits. He wouldn't be the first pop star to release an all electronic album, as he obviously had other dimensions of his muse to explore. Also it had been reported in the past the album was from 1971, but once again that is false. All signals point to a 1976 release, which is exactly the era that the album sounds like it's from. A little Zanov, a little Ashra, a little Klaus Schulze.  Some psychedelic guitar on Side 2 adds much needed variety to the otherwise purely keyboard driven album. Overall, I am reminded of Didier Paquette or Alain Renaud's first album. A good one.

Even the timings on the original vinyl are jacked - as it turns out that both sides of the LP run between 16 and 16 and half minutes, not 17 and 12 as recorded on the label itself.

Priority: 2

10/3/10 (new entry); 11/23/18 (update)

Artcane ~ France ***REISSUED***

Odyssee. 1977 Philips

***Reissued by Musea Sep 2018

UMR review

Priority: 2

9/22/09 (new entry); 8/26/18 (complete)