The return of the CDRWL News feature....

And with the original 2003 website "Monopoly Newsboy"!

I was somewhat heartbroken when I read how many people read my news items. Clearly that was the most popular item amongst the readership at the CDRWL. Many asked that I at least keep that portion alive.

So I have. But somewhere else from here on. I'll be keeping an RYM list, as promised from an earlier post.

The CDRWL News feature lives on!

Stud ~ USA ***REISSUED***

Stud. 1975 Baron

***Reissued by Out-Sider Dec 2015

UMR review

Priority: 3

9/14/10 (new entry) 12/15/15 (complete)

Missus Beastly ~ Germany ***REISSUED***

Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles. 1976 April
Spaceguerilla. 1978 Schneeball

*** Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles reissued by Garden of Delights, Jun 2011
*** Spaceguerilla reissued by Garden of Delights, Dec 2015

UMR review

Priority: 2

10/29/10 (new entry); 12/15/15 (complete)

Proyecto A ~ Spain ***REISSUED***

Proyecto A. 1970 RCA

***Reissued by Sommor Dec 2015

UMR review

Priority: 2

7/8/10 (new entry); 12/9/15 (complete)

White Summer ~ USA ***REISSUED***

White Summer. 1976 private

***Reissued by Out-Sider Nov 2015

Michigan based hard rock and funk. Most of the tracks are under the 3 minute mark, tritely executed, and are scarce worth mentioning. However, there are 3 long pieces (5+, 6+ and 13+) that are absolutely fantastic with great guitar soloing, changes in dynamic and rhythms - not to mention excellent songcraft. 

Priority: none

5/27/10; 11/24/15 (complete)

Minoru Muraoka & New Dimension Group ~ Japan

Lupus. 1974 Victor

Minoru Muraoka is a famous shakuhachi (a type of bamboo flute) player in his native Japan. In modern times, a couple of his 1970 albums had found fame with the DJ beatdigger crowd (Bamboo, Osorezan). I haven't heard either, but judging by what I've read, they contain the usual mix of cover tunes and originals mixed with traditional indigenous music. For Lupus, Minoru Muraoka (technically this was released with his New Dimension group) takes the entire concept to its experimental conclusion.

When hearing Lupus, the two terms that came to mind were New Age and psychedelic freakout. Now there's something you probably hadn't thought of before. Of course the former is something of a response to radicalism in music. But in its earliest days, before it had become strictly the music of bored housewives at the spa, New Age promised a cultural and generational mix of sounds. And you get that with Minoru Muraoka almost by default. But what of this freakout aspect? Well consider that most of the instruments here are wired up to some sort of wah wah pedal, and the music takes on a trance like status. There's only the electric bass that represents the West, but it's a key performer driving the music in multiple exciting ways. A very unique blend, one that I hadn't heard prior to this album.

The second side more or less drops any kind of rock elements, though still is quite fascinating. The opening track with the theatrical female voice recalls J. A. Seazer, whereas the other two settle things down with some meditative classical Japanese music.

Muraoka was already 50 years old at the time of this release, meaning he was already a suffering young man during the terrors of World War II. Clearly an enlightened soul, though it's not likely he was into rock so much as he enjoyed the sounds that were emanating from his beloved instruments of old.

So there you have it, a New Age psych freakout for side 1, and a more traditional side 2. Perhaps most interesting is that it was recorded live in front of what is likely to have been an older crowd, who responded quite enthusiastically to the entire affair. Historically speaking, Lupus was way ahead of its time. Worth checking out.

Like most Japanese music from the early 70s that mixed with rock and jazz, Lupus is painfully obscure and rare. These are albums that are still being discovered even within Japan itself. No reissues exist (as of 3/8/25). This would be one worth pursuing, as even though it's not a stone classic, it is entirely unique and satisfying.

Priority: 2

11/11/15 (new entry)

I think it's fitting to end the CDRWL blog Version 1.0 with an insanely rare Japanese album as submitted by The AC. I can assure you that I would not know any of these were it not for his incredible research!

His notes were: "Shakuhachi master and band leader Muraoka recorded scores of records over the years, covering all kinds of ground, with a focus on integrating the traditional Japanese shakuchachi flute into modern western-style music. His most interesting period (from a rock/jazz listener's perspective) unsurprisingly coincided with the experimental New Rock boom in Japan circa the early/mid 70s. His most well-known works are from earlier on in this timeframe, when he released albums like "Osorezan" and "Bamboo", which have long been popular with the rare groove/DJ crowd. But after this he developed a darker, more experimental streak, releasing a string of albums with his New Dimension Group where he started to twist and mutate traditional Japanese music to his own ends, leading to fascinating efforts such as "Jigen" (1972) and "So" (1973). However, these were still probably too traditional to catch the ear of many prog/psych listeners. This all changed in 1974, when he unleashed "Lupus", a live concert hall recording (as many of his works were) that takes his earlier concepts and finally goes off the deep end with them. The eponymous side-long first track is an immense piece of hybrid far eastern psych/prog/jazz-rock which, aside from the hypnotically pulsing electric bass, amazingly consists of nothing but traditional Japanese instruments and drums, although you'd scarcely know it. Everything is put through the fuzz/wah blender, creating sounds and textures more reminiscent of electric organ and fuzzed out guitars. It starts out tranquilly, but then builds and builds in intensity, climaxing in a totally frenzied freakout conclusion that will leave your brain in a puddle-like state. Awe inspiring. The second side is unfortunately much more traditional, consisting of three shorter pieces, although the quality is still high. But that first side... Wow. Deserves to be much more well known."

Skeptical Eye ~ Canada

The Devil's Playground. 1984 Puretone

(New data has emerged since I first published these notes. Be sure to read the bottom section as well)

We have something interesting to talk about today. I haven't heard anything this nutty from the early 80s since Quasar Light and Rantz came wafting under my nose a few years back. It's comforting to know our friends up north were harboring these kind of crazies too. Skeptical Eye is basically a duo of Angela Black and Christopher Flint. She's white, he's black - and they both look like they're from 1976, if one considers hair styles and overall look. We're talking bad hair for the former and dark sunglasses and fro for the other. Rounding out the duo is engineer Paul Croscup, trying his best to look like Baretta with a derby cap, and a two-sizes-too-small T-shirt that says "The Doctor of Engineering". Given that all the songwriting was done by Black and Flint, it remains unclear why he gets top billing here - perhaps he funded the record? Anyway, the whole back inner sleeve is Dork City.

What of the music you ask? Well, that's a toughie too. Take away the mid 70s synthesizer sound (yes, mid 1970s...), the rest sounds like one of those loopy US rock albums on Paramount or Buddha from 1970 (going back further we are). There is absolutely nothing 80s about this album, excepting the obvious copyright dates of 1984 splattered all over. There's no recording date, which leads me to believe this probably was recorded in 1976 (with period photos) and not released until 8 years later. So back to the music. There's some really fascinating sequences here. Lots of psychedelic, progressive, and hard rock can be found within these grooves. The musicians are slightly incompetent, but that just adds to the allure of something like this. The children's choir on the first track is really eerie, as if they kidnapped a school bus and forced them to sing. Not all of it works of course, including some woeful blues and singer-songwriter fluff.

The lyrics contain an underlying Christian tone, but not of the praise-thee-Jesus type, rather it's more of the we're-all-going-to-hell-in-a-hand-basket variety (hence the chorus "we're living in the Devil's Playground"). Here are the opening lines to the first track 'Universal Call - The Message': "The world is full of corruption. And headed for total destruction". Jolly stuff, eh? These guys would have been great lyricists for a death metal band.

The rip I was sent is completely distorted, which I think might actually help the music. At some point, I'd like to hear the album as originally presented. No matter, it's going to be an odd experience. Overall this is one of those albums you can't help but pay attention to. Like a highway car crash where they're starting to pull charred bodies out of the remains. You just have to look.

---5/26/19 update

We've recently heard from someone very close to these recordings, and some interesting data has emerged. As it turns out, yes, this recording was from the 1982 to 1984 time frame. Hard to imagine, but it's not the first "out of its time" album we've reported on either. We've also learned that Angela was a Catholic girl, a couple of years removed from high school, thus the Christian overtones. Also "I believe your review wondered why the sound engineer was credited so prominently...it was his house and his equipment and there was some sort of weird dynamic/power struggle going on...but mostly because it was his house, his stuff." The children's choir, that we had some fun with above, were aged 11 to 15. No prep work or rehearsals occurred. Just sing this! Really the backstory is only adding to the allure here...

Priority: 3

11/10/15 (new entry)

The AC says: "Bizarre homemade Christian prog/psych anachronism out of Belleville, Ontario. You know when a Christian-themed LP has track titles like "Tortured From Inside" that it's probably something beyond the ordinary, and that's certainly the case here. Psych guitar and organ, ineptly performed prog breaks, off key male and female vocals (including a children's choir section that seems to have been done by a group of random local school kids who couldn't sing at all) weird and disturbing sound effects, spacey Pink Floydian sections, and even a weepy ballad and terrible blues rock jam. Yet, it all flows together somehow as a cohesive concept work. I think. I don't really want to know, to be honest. A few keyboard tones aside, the whole thing sounds like it was recorded about a decade earlier. And as far as the amateurism level is concerned, I'll paraphrase myself from the Rhea review I did here a few years back: To put it in Canadian progressive terms, these guys make VIIth Temple sound like Rush in comparison. Very rare, but perhaps that's for the best? Completely demented."

Fractals ~ England

Fractals. 1986 Surface

Fractals were an obscure fusion band from the Oxford area who released this one album, and even today, almost nothing is known about them. What we do know is the rhythm section is none other than the same duo that performed on Red, one of my all-time favorite instrumental 80s prog albums. However, without the fiery guitar of Dennis Fitzgibbons or the fascinating New Wave sounding synthesizers, the rhythm section is left to support a rather mundane instrumental jazz fusion album. The sound is purely 1986 with warm bass tones and extremely lightweight amplified guitar. The album has absolutely zero edge. The compositions are a mix of the trite and the complex, and if there were some rock elements added, the album most assuredly would have been better received by the underground. But as it stands, this one is strictly for middle 80s fusion heads. File under average.

Priority: none

11/9/15 (new entry)

AC's notes: "Obscure little instrumental jazz-rock/fusion offering from the lean years of the genre. The main hook here is that the rhythm section consists of Jerry Soffe and Frank Hockney, formerly of cult favorites Red. Like other releases of its ilk from the mid 80s, there is no attempt whatsoever to hide its all-digital "modernness" (ironically now much more dated than the earlier analog tones), but if you can get past that it's actually a solid album. Sedate jazzy pieces alternate with more driving, progressive-minded tunes, which keeps things interesting. Hard to track down, as it seems this was only distributed in their local Oxford area during the band's relatively brief existence, but worth a look for hardcore genre fans."

Early Times ~ Japan

Second Album. 1976 private

Generally when a band releases a title called Second Album, one presumes a first one exists. As I write this entry, that elusive first album remains undiscovered. That can mean any number of things from a lost-in-translation scenario (i.e. first album is all in Kanji with a different meaning) to some sort of silliness conducted by the group - as evidenced by the cover perhaps. Speaking of which, doesn't the album cover look like something a modern craft brewery would release on a can?

Just as wacky as the group's own provenance is that of the music itself. That which is as eclectic as one will ever hear in the mid 1970s. Opener 'Marmalade Sky' is a cool little funky horn rock number sounding like it's 1972 all over again. And the vocals are in that mumbled unintelligible English style (or perhaps Japanese, who can really tell?) similar to maybe The Far East Family Band. 'Samui Kisetsu' follows and is also seemingly from an earlier era, but more towards the hard rocking / early progressive genre. 'The Ballad of Billy' goes for the blues, but still contains some fine soloing. 'Tabi No Fukidamari' is similar but considerably more dull, and represents the sole skip over track here. 'Time Out' is the square-on prog track here, and sounds every bit like a German symphonic band circa 1976. I'm thinking SFF here and the highlight of the album for me. The lengthy closer also has some great progressions, though it's longer than it needs to be truth be told.

In the end, Early Times is an album without obvious comparison, though it by no means goes out of bounds anywhere either. A truly intriguing piece of art. One that requires repeated listens. Worthy of reissue status for certain. And what about that first album, fellas?

Priority: 2

11/8/15 (new entry)

This was the last of The AC's submissions from early 2015. I have not heard from him since. He left as he came - shrouded in mystery. What I most appreciated about The AC was his ability to filter and discern the best of the obscurities. There's tons out there, and many aren't worthy of discussion.We didn't always agree, but we saw eye to eye on music more than most anyone else I've encountered. Thanks again my friend for all the great submissions!

His notes: "Not to be confused with the contemporaneous Early Times String Band (a Japanese 70s folk-rock ensemble that has become slightly better known due to a couple of reissue/archival releases), this incredibly obscure album was the second effort of a local Sapporo based group. Their first is so rare that, while it must exist, has apparently never been glimpsed a single time by even the most hardcore Japanese collectors after all these years. All that aside, what we have here is a very interesting anachronism that sounds more like an underground Japanese take on early 70s British proto-progressive styles than anything else. Even the Monty Python-esque cover art seems to point in that direction. It kicks off with with an extremely cool horn rock-ish affair, featuring vintage organ, electric piano, funky percussion and psych guitar backed by a female chorus to great effect. This is followed by a lengthy proto-prog style guitar/organ led jam that slowly builds in intensity, with some great soloing. The rest of the first side then kind of puts on the breaks, with a couple of slow blues rock pieces that still have a very palpable early 70s UK feel to them. The second side starts with another gradually building instrumental jam, that eventually hits an awesome groove while the soloing breaks out overhead, before slowing down again into a more pensive mood. We then reach the real climax of the album, with the nearly 13 minute long final track. Building slowly once again (a hallmark of theirs, it seems), this starts out in a jazzy/bluesy horn rock mode, then builds in intensity as the soloing picks up and the vocals join in again, ending in a long crescendo of bluesy psych guitar soloing over the horn rock/proto-prog style jamming. Great stuff, and the whole album has a very loose, underground sound and vibe that is just flat out cool."

Love Live Life (& related) ~ Japan

Kosuke Ichihara & Love Live Life - Datsu Nippon Minyou - Now Sound '75. 1975 Victor

UMR reviews

Satsujin Jissho [Ten Chapters of Murder]. 1974 CBS/Sony

I've known about Love Live Life + 1 for many years, but wasn't aware the group had a second album until recently. It's a concept album about various incidents of nefarious killings (anything from the St. Valentine's Massacre to the Holocaust). Musically the mood doesn't really fit the concept, as it's a real hodge podge of sounds. Anything from instrumental funky wah wah cop show themes, to avant garde indigenous music, to ragtime jazz is featured here. Whatever it is, it's definitely underground 1970's Japan - where anything goes! Honestly it doesn't remind me of the other LLL+1 album at all, and should be strictly considered on its own. Plenty of psychedelic guitar to keep an underground rock fan interested - but be prepared for many changes in style. 

Priority: 2

According to a comment from an anonymous reader, Satsujin Jissho has been reissued (1997 Super Fuji). 

The AC has countered the above comment: "This CD doesn't actually exist. It was supposed to come out in 2007 (not 1997), but Sony (who own the rights) killed it off at the last minute. The "Super Fuji Discs" mentioned is a subsidiary of the Japanese record store Disk Union, who sell tons of rare LPs throughout Japan. They were involved in the mastering of the CD, but the whole thing had to be shelved after a while. "

As of 3/4/25, Discogs shows no mention of a CD, so the AC was correct in his retort.

The AC's notes for Kosuke Ichihara & Love Live Life : "The common misconception of Kosuke Ichihara's group seems to be that Love Live Life were a regular, comprehensive band in the Japanese rock scene, a la Flower Travellin' Band and the like, but that's not really the case. Ichihara came from a jazz background, and even the seminal "Love Will Make A Better You" was really more along the lines of the typical "band leader and revolving cast of studio hired guns" scenario that for the most part dominated the output of Japan's New Rock explosion. So it should come as no surprise then that their trail afterwards becomes more diverse and obscure. Most well known in the west is obviously the quirky "Satsujin Jissho", but around the same time there were also entertainingly silly exploitation cash-ins like "Rock In Bacharach", "Rock In X'Mas" and other less notable studio sessions and collaborations. But perhaps the most interesting of this little known latter-day output is "Now Sound '75", an attempt to cross traditional Japanese "minyou" folk songs with the then-rising genre of jazz-rock fusion. This concept had already been done umpteen times by this point in other styles, some of which have been covered on this very blog (Toshio Tanioka, Dosojin, etc.). However, as the title indicates, the difference here is that the "sound"  was very "now", as in funky mid 70s instrumental fusion. The traditional themes are woven in smoothly to create atmosphere in a well-produced set of tunes that would have made a good soundtrack for a classic Japanese cop/detective show. Oddly enough, I'm also reminded a bit of the contemporaneous French fusion sound. Smooth and funky, but with enough atmosphere and instrumental acumen to hold your interest. Recommended to fusion fans, and I'd wager it would also go down a storm with the rare groove crowd. Unfortunately, one of their harder titles to find."

9/30/10 (new entry); 11/7/15 (update)

Rollsplytt ~ Germany

Flappergranny. 1982 private

Rollsplytt were a band from Germany that remains a complete unknown as I write this. They released this one album, with the intriguing name of Flappergranny (what can that possibly even mean?*) back in 1982. And it sounds every bit of its era. To my ears at least, Rollsplytt has their heart in the Synth Pop movement, but didn't realize that they needed a vocalist, and maybe a few catchy tunes to work with. They are rhythmically uninteresting, but the instrumentation on top is really quite accomplished. Primarily keyboards, guitars, and a smattering of reeds which conjure up some splendid melodies. In this way I was most reminded of fellow countrymen Rousseau, minus the obvious affection for progressive rock. But Rollsplytt managed to accomplish a similar sound on what seems like an accident. This is a good one that needed a few more ideas and instrumentation to flesh out these tracks a bit. Well worth your time to investigate.

*- So let's take a stab at this. My grandmother was a professional Vaudeville musician, and she was also known as a "Flapper Girl", which was a term / style for liberated women in post World War I. In looking at that cover, perhaps that's the reference - an older woman who did not let go of that era. But I don't think "Flappergranny" is the name for that...

Priority: 3

11/6/15 (new entry)

AC's original notes: "All instrumental prog/fusion with a distinctly early 80s sound, but not in the way that you might expect. It's as if a 1982 British synth-pop band decided to take a break between albums and do a prog side project or something. The copious synths, sax/flute, as well as the guitar and bass lines just have that certain sound, as do the very "bouncy" (for lack of a better word) and straight forward rhythms that propel this lengthy (almost 50 minutes) and well-produced album along. There are some definite fusion touches (mostly of the Weather Report variety), but I'd label it more as "funky synth-driven instrumental prog" than full-fledged jazz-rock, if that makes any sense. It's quite consistent, and has some real period charm, which won me over in the end."

Zthurehz ~ Sweden

Zthürehz. 1981 Sill Y

When you see an unpronounceable band name like Zthürehz, one would presume a Zeuhl masterpiece awaits. Or perhaps some all-out complex prog like Yezda Urfa. So that's what we get here right? Oh God no... Zthürehz were a duo from Sweden who released this one album and then disappeared without a trace. Given the moniker, the album found itself on many a prog want list over the years. And in these enlightened modern times, the mask has now been removed... and it's not pretty.

The album starts off pleasantly enough with a fine instrumental. I was reminded most of fellow countrymen Isildurs Bane on their own 1981 debut Sagan om Ringen, or perhaps even a non-female-vocal Autumn Breeze. Nothing complex, but straightforward rock with a nice melodic structure. We also hear this sound coming from Germany quite a bit in the early 80s. And then... it goes into indie rock mode, not atypical of the rock scene of the era. The bookends of each side provide the interest for progressive rock fans, and the remainder might appeal to the more tolerant neo psych crowd with an early 80s fetish. The blend isn't a good one, as both styles do not mesh well. Seems one or the other will disappoint their fan base. Presuming they had any to begin with... Overall, a decent / OK album from my perspective, nothing more.

Priority: none

11/4/15 (new entry)

The AC says: "Swedish prog obscurity that's somewhat marred by occasional incursions of early 80s new wave and even some reggae influences. Also perhaps a bit too vocal oriented, at least for my tastes. Unsurprisingly, they fare better on the longer pieces, where they're able to stretch out a little more musically. Some of that typical Scandinavian melancholy also helps the cause, but the general amateurism doesn't. Worth a listen for genre deep divers, but otherwise nothing too special."

Holocausto ~ USA ~ Puerto Rico

Aleluya. 1974 Discos Roka

Holocausto were an obscure Christian band from Puerto Rico who released this one very intriguing album. At times, there are bursts of complex and heavy Italian styled prog with guitars and keyboards raging over the crazy rhythms. At others, there's a bit of machismo Latin soul rock, that is obviously more song based. Overall, it reminds me somewhat of the Peruvian band Tarkus. It's a very rough recording, but the reckless abandon of youthful exuberance takes this one up a notch. Apparently the band had started to work on a remix for a possible reissue, but no recent word has surfaced that I could find anyway. I could see this easily going up a half point or more with repeated listens. 

Priority: 3

This is another late era submission from The AC.  His notes to me were: "This Christian-themed underground Latin American rarity is an interesting blend of progressive, psychedelic, hard rock/proto metal and latin rock styles.  Heavy riffing, organ/keys, flute/sax and impassioned vocals battle it out over a set of relatively concise but atmospheric and thoughtfully constructed tracks, where the undeniably cool "aura" of the whole thing helps to make up for the somewhat primitive execution. Great cover art as well (both front and back). However, the sound here could really use a good cleaning up, as it's hard to even hear some of the more interesting instrumental details at times. It seems the band themselves were working on doing just that a few years back, but I'm not sure if this is still an ongoing effort. Lets hope so, because this one is definitely worth it."

Naniwaya Tatsumaru & Warner Beatniks ~ Japan

Keiantaiheiki (Yoshitatsu Kyounobori) Rock Roukyoku Rock. 1971 Reprise

Such a catchy title, eh?

In any case, Tatsumaru is performing what is known as Roukyoku, which is a narrative type of singing accompanied by a 3 stringed lute known as the shamisen, providing an aural incense-burn like setting. For those cultural neanderthals like myself, the only way I can describe his performance here is to imagine an anguished JA Seazer (well, that's self-defining isn't it?)... on his 6th bourbon.

But of course, there's more than traditional Japanese music here. It's the early 70s, so the "Warner Beatniks" is yet another name for guitarist Kimio Mizutani (who must have played on one album a day back then) and his motley crew of studio performers. The psychedelic rock bits are exciting, but all too short, and leaves the listener wanting more. Way more.

An interesting artifact for certain, and definitely one to find if doing the deep dig in Japanese archaeological rock studies. Might require a few extra shovels to actually find however... If looking for an original, there's currently one copy available on Discogs for the low low price of $2,200. I think I'll await a reissue.

Priority: none

The AC's notes: "Another of the many "New Rock" era attempts at a cross-cultural fusion between rock and traditional Japanese music, in this case roukyoku, a type of narrative singing usually accompanied by the shamisen. Tatsumaru barks, growls and whines out the running monologue, alternating between sly humor and extreme agitation as the text calls for, accompanied by his tsugaru-shamisen strumming/thrashing and occasional heavy prog/psych outbursts, or more cinematic sounding backdrops of strings, flute, etc. The rock sections come courtesy of the Warner Beatniks, which was just another name for the "usual suspects" studio crew of Yusuke Hoguchi, Kimio Mizutani, etc. It's a fairly interesting experiment, but does have some serious drawbacks. The main problem being that the rock bits tend to kind of jump in and out rather quickly, making for a somewhat disjointed sound, and leaving the listener to sit through lengthy sections of traditional unaccompanied roukyoku narration and shamisen plucking. Which is fine if you're a dedicated fan of the style, but will probably try the patience of the more general prog/psych listener. It's an expensive item these days (more so once it gets into the hands of hyperbolic western record dealers than in its native Japan), so I feel a "buyer beware" is in order here, despite my own general amusement with it. Great sinister cover art, duplicated in even more evil looking red on the back. As a side note, the sleeve states this is the second release in the "Bikkuri Series" ("surprising series"). If memory serves correctly, the first was the thoroughly ridiculous (but entertaining) "Rock Christmas Rock", which as you might have guessed is an album of rocked-out Christmas songs performed by the Warner Beatniks and featuring one of the most hideously eye-scarring record covers in human history."

11/2/15 (new entry)

Tatsuya Takahashi & Tokyo Union Orchestra ~ Japan

Tatsuya Takahashi & Tokyo Union Orchestra - The Rock Seasons. 1972 Toshiba-Express

Lead by saxophonist Tatsuya Takahashi, The Rock Seasons is basically instrumental electric big band music. There's a minor fuzz edge here, but in principle, this is rock music for the coat and tie set. The themes are decidedly mid 60s, and one could hear this as being a soundtrack to a frivolous film of that era. Being a former stage band performer myself, music like this can be challenging to play, and the horn charts are often complicated. It's all a bit of good fun though, and truth be told, there isn't a whole a lot of this kind of music on the open market.

Like many Japanese rock albums from the early 70s, The Rock Seasons is about as common as finding government employees working on official holidays.

This was one of the last CDRWL submissions from the AC (early 2015), who has gone missing since. We definitely miss his contributions - not just to that blog, but to my overall knowledge. Come back man!

His comments are: "Late saxophonist and band leader Takahashi appeared on about a million different recordings in his heyday, but seems to be most known outside of Japan for some of his mid 70s work on the Three Blind Mice label. From my perspective however, his most interesting work might be this obscure set recorded with his Tokyo Union big band during the height of Japan's "New Rock" era of major label experimentation. There's some kind of seasonal/elemental theme going on here, but it's not too relevant honestly, as what we're presented with is a fun sequence of instrumental electric big band/jazz rock pieces that are propelled along by melodic sax/flute, tight horn charts, groovy bass lines and even the occasional fuzz/wah guitar lick. Lacks the depth and atmosphere of a contemporaneous work like Toshiyuki Miyama's "Tsuchi no Ne", but is quite an entertaining listen nonetheless."

Priority: none

11/1/15 (new entry)

News: Sfinx debut album reissued by Soft Records

Here's the other news item from Achim. This is one of those albums I thought may have been reissued in the past, but no, this is the first legit CD for the album. And it comes from the superb indigenous Soft Records label. As an aside, I have a few of their CDs here to review for Under the Radar, and we have a couple there already (Survolaj, Talitha Qumi) that we've raved about in the past.

I haven't heard this album in ages. I don't even have a copy here, so I'll need to dig around for one. I see I have a rating for it, but I've just removed those as it's been way too long to be fair.

Our RYM friend Apps79 says this about it: "Sfinx came in life in Bucharest around 1963, found by three high school students and friends, drummer Cristian Valica, bassist Corneliu "Bibi" Ionescu and singer/guitarist Octav Zemlicka.Among their early members was also organist Idu Barbu, but the crucial point comes in 1967, when violin player and student Dan Andrei Aldea joined the band, he was destined to become the band's leader and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist.Several members would come and go over the span of the next 7-8 years, Sfinx'es fame though was on the rise, writing music for the film ''Nunta de piatra'' and releasing a first single in 1972.A second EP follows in 1974 at a time, when Ionescu and Aldea were surrounded by ex-Mondial drummer Mihai Cernea and a second guitarist, Dan Badulescu.Their ex-keyboardist Idu Barbu helped them during the recording sessions of their debut ''Lume alba'', which was released in 1975 on the Electrecord label.

You shouldn't expect by a band from Romania, a country with limited tradition in Progressive Rock, to break new grounds, but Sfinx appeared to be more than just a talented band on ''Lume alba'', exploring music fields that were almost forbidden for other groups.They played a mix of straight Hard Rock with some supporting poppy tunes, but I also encounter lots of folky influences and spacey, Fusion touches in their sound.The standard-structured tracks are rather of limited interest for fans with no access to the Romanian language, containing lots of punchy guitars, catchy choruses and dynamic grooves, which are sometimes surrounded by discreet keyboard sounds.But there are also tracks in here that are surprisingly good and beyond their time regarding the Romanian Rock scene.For example ''Sinteza'' is powered by great electric solos and a marching rhythm section, accompanying some impressive Moog synth solos with a slight spacey underline or the title-track, which sounds extremely trippy with its wordless vocals, background bass lines and soaring synth lines.''Muntele'' is very interesting as well, some of the guitar parts recall KING CRIMSON at their mid-period, the Hard Rock leads are still in evidence, but the semi-symphonic synths, the powerful breaks and the changing climates add a personal aura in this piece.''Calatorul si copacul'', the opening track is a nice attempt in Folk/Pop with great violin work by Aldea, while the swansong of the album, ''Om bun'', is a beautiful piece of archaic Prog Folk with a slight Medieval atmosphere, featuring poetic voices, traditional flute lines and light bass work.

That's what should be called Art Rock.Not groundbreaking by any means, however ''Lume alba'' remains a hidden gem of versatile Eastern-European Rock music with multilpe influences, likely to satisfy all lovers of flexible listenings.Recommended."

News: Rocket Robert reissued by Got Kinda Lost

CDRWL contributor Achim turned in a couple of news items yesterday. I was not familiar with this album prior, but it looks intriguing for sure. Got Kinda Lost is yet another sub-label from the outstanding Guerssen group of Spain.

Guerssen says: "Those who’ve dirtied their fingers searching high and low for analog synth nuggets can rejoice at the arrival of under-the-radar synthesizer maverick “Rocket” Robert Moore. Less a reissue than an exhumation—what with a scant, hand-screened 142 copies produced in 1982 that circulated little outside the confines of Oregon state—Rocket Robert drifts in the backward-looking sounds of early synth innovators, while equally mining the kraut-tinged moments of punk-era instro synth explorers and the first breaths of synth-pop, rather than carrying similarities to the “New Wave” that was then talking hold of the masses. Issued by Moore’s own Salem, Oregon-based Future Records in 1982, his eponymous debut is simultaneously light-hearted and shot-though with ominous oscillations and offers up a darkly-throbbing, other-worldly vibe that is sure to ensnare synth-heads, beat-diggers and those searching the margins of the private-press alike. Got Kinda Lost Records is over the moon to allow this singular, unique album another chance to shine. RIYL: Delia Derbyshire, Fad Gadget, Mort Garson, Gershon Kingsley, Martin Rev, Morton Subotnick, etc. First time reissue of this under-the-radar synth nugget, with original master tape sound. Recorded in 1982 while having more in common with ‘60s analog synthesizer innovators or ‘70s German followers of the flame, providing the album an “out of time” quality. Includes two previously unreleased spaced-out-electro-pop songs from the album sessions. Insert features informative liner notes by Dave Segal (Staff Writer for Seattle’s alternative weekly The Stranger), culled from interviewing the artist and rare photos from Robert Moore’s archives. LP housed in an old-school-style tip-on sleeve. CD edition features a full-color insert with many images not featured in LP edition. "Unclassifiable outsider synth-damage not unlike Bite-era Bruce Haack and Damon Edge of Chrome collaborating, or weirdo proto-new wavers like Ghostwriters, Pulsar, Todd Tamanend Clark, or a non-operatic Klaus Nomi. Better yet, imagine a Grandmaster Flash-obsessed Kluster retreating into a stoney basement with Richard Pinhas—if that makes no sense, you're on the right path." - Steven “Plastic Crimewave” Krakow (Galactic Zoo Dossier)"

Shotgun LTD ~ USA

Shotgun LTD. 1971 Prophesy

UMR review

Priority: 2

10/20/15 (new entry)

News: Baumann/Koek to be reissued on Bureau B

I have to admit I'd never heard of this one before. But CDRWL contributor Eric sent it over, and it indeed does look like something we'd be very interested in. Bureau B continues to be the leading light for all things German Electronik.

Label data: "Baumann/Koek is another hitherto undiscovered treasure of German electronic music, the only album by the electronic music pairing of Wolfgang (not Peter!) Baumann and Ata Koek, both from Kempten, Bavaria. It was mixed in Conny Plank's studio and distributed, without a label, by the duo themselves in 1978. The music owes much to the Berlin School: layered sequencer patterns, swirling chord tapestries, a computer beat here and there. Oriental elements or hints thereof add a particular charm to Baumann/Koek, available now for the first time on CD (+vinyl and download)."

"Rumours persist that Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream is behind the Baumann/Koek project. Indeed, the music might bear a certain resemblance and the song entitled “TD-Mem” might be seen as a clue. But the rumour is just that, a rumour, with no bearing on the truth. In actual fact, Baumann/Koek can unequivocally be identified as Wolfgang Baumann (no, not the MPS record cover artist), born in Kempten in 1950 and his friend Ata Koek (Köktürk, to be precise), born in Istanbul in 1956. Wolfgang Baumann was 15 years old when he learned to play the electric organ. Some ten years later, he had grown tired of the limited range of sounds the instrument offered and he sold it on the spot. Wolfgang and his friend Ata were determined to explore new tones and musical structures— with a synthesizer. Together, they made the trip from Kempten to Bonn with the singular aim of visiting the legendary Synthesizerstudio Bonn, the very same store where Kraftwerk and countless other electronic icons went shopping for their equipment. The duo purchased a secondhand ARP 2600 and immediately began experimenting with the synth. They soon realized, however, that they needed more gear to create the music they dreamed of. Before long they had added an ARP sequencer, a Solina String keyboard and an EKO Compurhythm drum computer to their arsenal. Last but not least, they acquired a four track recorder and were ready to commit their music to tape. Without a record label to back them, they pressed up 1000 copies and paid the production costs themselves. Having recorded all the music on the four track machine at home, the pair went to the expense of booking Conny Plank’s studio for the mix. The album was well received and the Swabian wholesaler Jaguar Records stepped in for worldwide distribution pressing another 5000 LPs. Japan proved to be a particularly popular territory, with radio stations picking up on the record. Sadly, Jaguar Records went bankrupt shortly afterwards. Baumann and Koek were disinclined to take on any further financial risk and decided against a follow-up record. The music clearly references the Berlin School: a hypnotic maelstrom of sequencer patterns and swirling tapestries of mostly minor chords, underpinned at times by a computer beat. What really sets the music apart from comparable productions is the subtle influence of Arabian tonality which saw Ata Koek consciously introduce just a hint of Oriental flavour. If Baumann and Koek considered their “modest” equipment to be a hindrance, their music sounded all the better for it. There is a raw, unpolished quality to the tracks, a clarity which draws the listener closer, far more so than the bombastic productions of contemporaries like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze et al."

News: Group 1850's Polyandri to be reissued on LP by Pseudonym

Yea. LP. Pseudonym continues the disturbing trend of reissuing albums on LP without the CD (grumpy morning for the CDRWL Hans?). Ugh. At least throw a factory pressed CD in there similar to Twink, Isaiah, Klockwerk Orange, etc...! So like Kvartetten Som Sprangde, Resan (both on Subliminal Sounds), and Mad Curry (Wah Wah), we have another high priority album being ignored for the CD market. That should keep the pirates active at least (GREAT!). Look, if you follow the UMR, you guys all know I love LPs. I collect them to this day, and I will likely buy this just to hear what they do with the sound, and to see the liner notes. I have the original LP as well, and at this point in my life, multiple copies of one album are OK with me. But it sure would be nice to get a legit CD too (I still have the absolutely awful Twilight Tone boot that comes from a scratchy record). Maybe they will follow through with the CD at a later date. We certainly hope so.

Label advertises: "At last reissued on LP (180-GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL!), it's the third and final studio album from Holland's ultimate psych legends GROUP 1850! 'Polyandri' was originally issued in 1974, when psychedelic rock had already lost its momentum. That unfortunate timing must be the only reason why this is a somewhat overlooked album, because the music itself is absolutely killer! On offer is a wild fusion of psychedelia, jazz-rock and progressive space rock, at many times dominated by band leader Peter Sjardin's home-built keyboard, The Organizer. There are guest appearances from Barry Hay (Golden Earrings) on flute and well known jazz musician Hans Dulfer on sax. The LP comes with remastered sound, a heavy gatefold sleeve boasting restored artwork, rare memorabilia, pix and liner notes by Mike Stax (Ugly Things)."

News: Krautrock box takes OAS concept to new levels of dumb

Oh for crying out loud, really? When the Original Album Series first sprang about, it seemed like a good way to buy a band's discography on the cheap. Nice little cardboard album covers, sometimes good sound, but at a handsome price. It was a great way to catch up on groups like The Who or Jefferson Airplane, that kind of thing. But then they started doing it for groups such as Catherine Ribeiro/Alpes, an artist who deserves much more care to each album. For the common bands, that's already been done, but not for the more obscure artists like Ms. Ribeiro. But if you don't care about such things, at least you are getting many releases from one artist at a cheap price. I guess it's not any crazier than those Progressive Italia boxes, which sadly remains the only way to get those splendid Sensations' Fix albums on CD.

But this Krautrock box is really ridiculous. What a great selection eh? So well thought out. So what do these albums have in common? They're from Germany. Oh, and they were originally on Telefunken. That's it. Musically they couldn't possibly be any more disparate. Everyone gets so carried away with the Krautrock term - but it should have more meaning than just rock from Germany. Well, whatever. All these have been reissued on CD before, and I think most are OOP. I just wanted to vent...

Cosmic Debris ~ USA

Cosmic Debris. 1980 Non Compos Mentis
Cosmic Debris - While You're Asleep. 1983 Non Compos Mentis

UMR review

Will need to revisit While You're Asleep. And there's a cassette release from 1986 that I've just been made aware of.

Priority: 2

News: Shadoks to reissue Blueset from Sweden

I ran across this bit of news while doing my monthly research. However, I wasn't familiar with this 1974 album, and waited until last night to hear it. Our trusty aid YouTube came in handy again, and I heard the album in full. I would have tagged this a Priority None (borderline 3), but it's still a fine piece, and my notes below captures (briefly) my initial experience. Shadoks has confirmed they will be reissuing it both on LP and CD, the latter not always a given with the fine label.

Blueset's album is mostly straight up blues rock, though special mention goes to 'Vibrationer I Folkton'*  which sounds like Kebnekaise on a bender. I'll drink to that! 

* - It's a 4 part, 13+ minute track, so definitely worthy of mention.

Ariel ~ USA

Ariel - Perspectives. 1985 Little Misters

UMR review

Priority: 1

Man Made ~ Canada

Man Made. 1971 Good Noise

I first ran into this title by way of Marquee magazine's (Japan) expose on rare Canadian progressive rock way back in 1990 or so (I still have the issue). My friend from Tokyo translated the review, and quite frankly it didn't sound all that great. For years I'd see the name pop up, but usually without much fanfare or recommendation. All the same, I was most curious about the side long track that opens the album.

And that side long namesake track is definitely the highlight. The first half is slow blues coupled with atmospheric space rock. The Hammond organ in particular is quite good. About halfway, there's a really cool jazz rock break, and this is followed by some fine flute work. Odd in that no flute is credited anywhere. There are "horns", but I've never heard anyone call a flute a horn. If the whole album were like this, no doubt its reputation would be stellar. Side 2 is very disappointing, and is typical 1970 era North American styled straight rock with blues, gospel, country, and boogie undertones. 'Keep on Moving' is energetic at least, with a semi interesting compositional model, but otherwise the remainder is a complete snoozer.

Despite the music, kudos goes to the artwork - most certainly as representative of the traditional male mindset as one will ever find.

Priority: none

Catherine Ribeiro ~ France ***REISSUED***

Catherine Ribeiro + 2 Bis. 1969 Festival
Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes - No. 2. 1970 Festival
Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes - Le Temps de l'Autre. 1977 Philips
Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes - Passions. 1979 Philips

***No.2 Reissued as part of a box set released by Mercury in 2012
***The remainder were reissued as part of a 9xCD box set from Mercury in Nov 2015

UMR review

Priority: 1

8/10/09; 9/24/15 (complete)

News: First 9 Catherine Ribeiro albums to be reissued in a box set

Thanks to an anonymous tip on our blog, we learned of this box set coming from Mercury. Details are scant, and it would appear the album has been announced before it was ready to be released. The above scan is the clearest one I could find, and comes from amazon.fr, but the entry has been removed (but captured on cache). The tip pointed to a blurred copy on amazon.de. I could not find any other data, beyond what is obvious on the box cover. This of course would close the book on Ribeiro in the digital world. I'm still hoping for individual releases, since I have 4 of the above on CD already (from Mantra in the 90s). Maybe I will ultimately give in. We'll see. This is the second box set from Mercury in recent years, the first one featured albums 2 through 5. Anyway, great news for Ribeiro fans, especially for those of you who do not own any of her CDs prior.

CDRWL contributor Achim informs us: "I just received the new Ribeiro + Alpes box set. This is actually quite nice. It comes in a sturdy box, with the 9 CDs in LP-like cardboard sleeves (as in the 4xCD box released in 2012) and also has a booklet with biographical notes and some photos. All in all great sound; no bonus material. I bought it from amazon.fr for 30 Euros."

Last update: October 27, 2015

The Advancement, USA

The Advancement - s/t. 1969 Philips

Another title from the CD-R revisit project. There is a "gray area" reissue out there, but we're calling for a better one.

No question that The Advancement are a bunch of jazzers trying their hand at the hip psychedelic sounds of the day. But in the end, they come across as a bunch of clueless squares. Because if they could have let loose on the foundation laid, this would have been an album for the ages. As it stands, The Advancement remains a fine album of instrumental jazz/rock without one notable standout track, including the usual call-outs like 'Stone Folk' and 'Fall Out' which of course feature the only fuzz on the album. Potential unrealized - though worth hearing and owning for certain.

Priority: 3

La Kabala, Peru

La Kabala - s/t. 1970 RCA

This title came about from the ongoing CD-R revisit project.

La Kabala is a mix of late 1960s swinging soul jazz, cruise ship styled loungers sung in Spanish, and an occasional Santana electric guitar outburst to keep everyone on their toes. Flute and roller rink organ fill the other lead roles. Opening and closing tracks are best, with the latter featuring some cool seductive female vocals. Much debate continues to ensue on the origin of the band. Most folks point to Peru, given that the majority of the pressings have emerged from there. However Mexico stubbornly remains in the discussion, and even Americans apparently hanging down south. Perhaps it really is only an exploitation album - without the proper distribution to really call it that (economically speaking). Whatever the case, a fine album, that doesn't require much thought to get into. Very much the perfect tropical vacation album - circa 1970.

Priority: 3

Houston Fearless, USA

Houston Fearless - s/t. 1969 Imperial

Another title from the CD-R revisit project.

Houston Fearless were a standard issue late 1960s styled heavy blues psych band, with gospel, folk, and pop trimmings. There is some exceptional fuzz soloing, coupled alongside wicked Hammond licks, that makes it an overall worthwhile listen. Guideposts are the usual suspects like Cream and Iron Butterfly. The first 6 tracks are quite good, excepting the lame 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'. Then it completely implodes from there, as the band tries different musical styles, hoping something will stick. Of course, none of it does. A decent genre piece, though nothing more.

Worth noting that, despite the moniker, the band were from Los Angeles. It would appear the odd name is based on this film manufacturing company who were based in LA at the time of the album's release.

Priority: none

News: Berits Halsband to come out on CD soon from Musicbazz!!!

Wow! Not sure we can receive better news than this. With Avalanche finally getting reissued, we are down to the very last of my Gnosis 14's not to be on CD. And Berits Halsband is one of them. One of my favorite discoveries from the early 2000's period, and still a great unknown. My full review can be found on the UMR site

Musicbazz is the Greek label responsible for the fine Pete and Royce LP and CD released a couple of years back. They are also the parent label to our good friend Spacefreak and his label Cosmic Eye. Thanks to him and reader Gal for the notification of this great news. The album will be reissued in both LP and CD formats.

One more great one reissued! YEA!

Berits Halsband ~ Sweden ***REISSUED***

Berits Halsband. 1975 private

***Reissued by MusicBazz Aug 2015

Moved to UMR

Priority: 1

9/20/09 (new entry); 8/23/15 (complete)

Fragile, Germany

Fragile - Lonely Preacher / Our Song. 1974 Rittberk

Great - another band named Fragile. Like Touch, Time, and Drama, it's a moniker that has been heavily used, and hard to research.

In any case, we have another serious rarity here provided by The AC. Technically this is a 7" single, but it's 33 RPM, and the length of an EP. The AC tells us: "Extremely obscure EP (just over 15 minutes) of what I would feel comfortable labeling as "heavy prog", a genre description that I usually find to be overly vague. However, in this case it really fits. Swirling wall-of-sound organ collides with heavy, crashing guitars over a fat, thumping rhythm section. It's from that netherworld where progressive rock, psychedelia and hard-rock/proto-metal had a meeting of the minds before heading off in their own directions. The vocals are fitting and more than decent, but most of the space is given over to heavy riffing and instrumental jamming. The vast majority of new discoveries that come out of Germany are from the seemingly bottomless (some would say tiresomely so, at this point) well of the late 70s/early 80s private press boom, so it's refreshing to occasionally be reminded that the deeper waters of the original prog/krautrock scene have not yet completely run dry. This is excellent stuff that I believe would have a wide appeal, so hopefully one of the German reissue/archival labels will track these guys down and find some additional tapes of similar quality sitting quietly in one of their attics, just waiting to be dusted off."

I also found the music highly appealing. Very much the sound of Germany during 1974, but with an added complexity moving it more towards progressive rock and less the traditional hard Krautrock sound. Probably tracks closest to the obscure band Metropolis or even a bit like the archival Spektakel I suppose. This is just the type of band that Garden of Delights has been so successful in mining, and perhaps they will find a canister of great music for a full archival CD. Or at the very least, this will find its way onto one of their famous compilations. Great stuff.

Priority: 2

Omnia Opera ~ England

Beyond the Tenth. 1986 private (MC)
Celebrate for Change. 1987 private (MC)
Omniasphere - Surfing the Zuvuya. 1990 private (MC)
Omnia - Seeking the Elusive. 1997 private (MC)

As of 3/31/25 the following has not happened:

From their website: "Squalor studios is currently engaged on a project to digitally remaster the popular Omnia Opera early cassette albums: 'Beyond the Tenth' and 'Celebrate for Change'. A project that is long overdue for those whose originals have worn-out! The final decision as which record company to use has yet to be made but there are rumours that Voiceprint may be taking an active role in promotion and distribution."

---Omnia

August 3rd, 2015 update:  If there was ever a title more apropos than Seeking the Elusive, I sure would like to know. But the AC has persevered and we now have finally heard this rarity! The AC notes "Very obscure cassette album by this post Omnia Opera group (it's basically the regular band lineup, just with a different drummer). A more stripped-down and guitar-oriented recording, with lots of thrashing, heavy Hawkwindian riffage and angsty vocals over a steadily pounding rhythm section, with the usual keyboards and spacey effects used only sparingly. All of the techno/electronica elements that had crept in on "Red Shift" are completely out the window here, and the songs tend to be a bit more concise, making for nothing but a full frontal assault. This one has seemingly been lost to history, and aside from a reworking of "Second Skin" on their comeback album "Nothing Is Ordinary", none of this material has ever appeared elsewhere." And really, while on the topic of Nothing is Ordinary, clearly this was the path Omnia Opera were heading even at this stage some 15 years prior. If you like the 1993 debut CD, then for certain Seeking the Elusive will be of great interest. Perhaps a bit rawer in sound quality, but compositionally very familiar.

Priority: 2

7/1/11 (new entry); 8/3/15 (update)

Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffalos ~ Japan ***REISSUED***

African Rock. 1971 Dan

***Reissued by Clinck in Jul 2015

UMR review

Priority: 2

4/18/15 (new entry); 7/29/15 (complete)

News: Finchley Boys "Everlasting Tributes" to come out on CD this year!

Recently we featured the Finchley Boys via the CD-R revisit project. A comment appeared on that post this morning from band member Garrett Oostdyck, who brought us this good news: "We really do plan on having a CD release this year (2015) There will be a few never heard tracks. I know the bootleggers don't have them yet as the tapes have been lost for 46 years." 

Great news for hard rock and heavy blues fans! I certainly will be picking one up when available.

Hobo, Croatia

Hobo - s/t. 1975 Jugoton

Another title that came up via the CD-R revisit project.

Hobo's sole work is a commercially oriented rock album that includes some fine violin, Moog, and piano giving it a progressive feel. The almost seven minute 'Srebro' is the highlight, and predates what their neighboring Igra Staklenih Perli were about to embark on, with their own take on the early Pink Floyd psychedelic/cosmic sound. Though sadly, this is the only track of this nature found on the album. The strong presence of violin, and the way the compositions are structured, recalls Kansas at the same juncture. Clearly these bands were operating on a parallel mindset as Hobo could not possibly have known of Kansas at this point in time. Good album all around, with some quality songwriting and progressions found within.

We have to suspect (or hope anyway) that Hobo has some unreleased material that is far more progressive than what is found on this LP. They are far too talented to have been satisfied with the overall commercial approach. One can only hope a CD surfaces with copious bonus material reflecting such.

Priority: 3

Mandrill, USA

Mandrill - Mandrilland. 1974 Polydor. 2LP set
Mandrill - Solid. 1975 United Artists
Mandrill - Beast from the East. 1976 United Artists

Since we're already operating outside the margins of the CDRWL, I thought this would be a good time to sneak in one of my favorite bands: Mandrill. Their first 4 albums (all highly recommended) were reissued on CD in the late 90s by Collectables. These are their next 3 albums, which I dutifully picked up on vinyl over the years (they're relatively easy to find and inexpensive). Each one is slightly lesser than the one before. By the time of We Are One, Mandrill will have transformed into a full blown disco act. Not bad by any means, but that's too far out of bounds for our list.

It has been said that Brooklyn's Mandrill were too progressive rock to be funk and too funk to be progressive rock. And that's just about exactly right. In fact the 2LP sprawling set of Mandrillland may be their peak at the progressive rock style. And on the flip side, Beast From the East is giving off major clues the band is clearly heading for more commercial territory, though there's still some great funk/prog to be heard.

Priority: 2

One St. Stephen, USA

One St. Stephen - s/t. 1975 Owl

In the late 90s, I bought a large collection of CDs and LPs. One of those CDs was One St. Stephen's sole album. But it's an obvious pirate, and unfortunately that's all there is in regards to a CD. There is, however, a legitimate LP reissue. And the artist is very happy with the final product.

The gentleman behind One St. Stephen is Don Patterson, who seems like quite the Renaissance Man. There is a tremendous amount of data about him in the webosphere. I highly recommend the It's Psychedelic Baby interview as the first place to start your research.

Musically the album is influenced by Jim Morrison and The Doors, and is a very anachronistic sound for 1975. Perhaps similar to Phantom's Divine Comedy in that way. I should note that the idea that One St. Stephen sounds like The Doors is hotly contested in some quarters. OK, then...

Priority: 3

Colonna, Italy

Colonna - s/t. 1980 Harmony. Also 1980 Box (Germany)

Another album that probably sits outside the margins of our list. But what a cover, eh? I received this CD-R from Midwest Mike years ago. Worth featuring I think.

Colonna is one Maurizio Colonna, who is today recognized as one of Italy's finest Spanish guitar players. This is his debut album, which naturally enough prominently features Colonna on the acoustic Spanish guitar. His exemplary playing is augmented by vocals, Moog synths, and rock/disco beats. He has many more albums which I've not heard to date. This one sports a pretty cool cover (a flying bull and a spaceship), and I could see this falling prey to the Italian progressive rock collector, though it has no stylistic similarities whatsoever. Well done for what it is. I'll include it here for those Italian prog treasure hunters, so they know what they're getting into. Also worth noting the exceptional supporting cast: Roberto Colombo, Tullio De Piscopo, Mark Harris (Napoli Centrale), Bernardo Lanzetti (PFM, Acqua Fragile) and bassist Ares Tavolazzi (Area).

Priority: none

Charlee, Canada

Charlee. 1972 RCA

UMR review

Priority: 2

Steinzeit, Germany

Steinzeit - Geburtstag. 1982 Absurde Geburten

As General Burkhalter might say "Ve-dy IN-TER-REST-ING Klink!". The AC has a wild one for us today.

"Imagine if you took the caterwauling female vocals and general angst of Gutura, but then replaced the atonal no wave guitar scree with some fragmented, twitchy kraut jazz instead. That's about the only description I can come up with for this underground German oddity. Production wise, this sounds like it may have been recorded in the same basement/crawlspace/broom closet that Buchenfeld used. I was kind of fascinated at first, but as time wore on found it increasingly irritating. Interesting, but will most likely have a strictly niche appeal."

I didn't read The AC's notes until the day after, but I can tell you the very first band to enter my mind, and it never left, was France's Gutura, who we've featured in the past here on the CDRWL. I must have been in a good mood, because the production didn't bother me in this case (broom closet lol). Twisty kraut jazz indeed, with spastic yet enunciated yelping from our crazy gal. And some fine mid 70s Crimsonish guitar. Odd album for sure, but one I found quite arresting. I suspect I'm the niche in this case. A good one for my tastes!

Priority: 2

F.G. Experimental Laboratory, Switzerland

F.G. Experimental Laboratory - Hope. 1980 Studio Scafe

When Garden of Delights reissued F.G. Experimental Laboratory's debut album Journey into a Dream back in 2006, I just presumed this title would follow shortly thereafter. So I never featured it. But it doesn't appear GoD has any interest in this title. I can understand why, as it's not exemplary, but it's just as good as the debut IMO. So with that...

F.G. Experimental Laboratory is a one man electronic show from a gentleman named Frédy Guye. Good haunting electronics with some wordless voice is what you can expect to find here. Somewhat akin to Jean-Baptiste Barriere, though not quite as dire as those his two albums can be. Guye should have added more variety to his keyboard selection, to add color and tone to what ultimately sums up to be a fairly monolithic release.

Priority: none