Sunday, October 6, 2024

Nova Express, Germany


Space Khmer. 1987 Syndicate

Germany's Nova Express, a common band name derived from William Burroughs' novel title, are a band I first heard about from Freakbeat in the early 1990s. Opening track 'King & Princess' reminds me quite a bit of early Amon Duul II - especially the shorter songs as found on Tanz der Lemming or Carnival in Babylon. This element becomes apparent in the psychedelic guitar work and the heavily accented male vocals. The organ they employ is actually an older vintage than what Amon Duul II used. Throughout the LP, one will also detect some influence from the post punk crowd of the early 80s, which shows in the songwriting. Nova Express goes toe to toe with, and even predates, some of the best UK neo psych bands of the era, such as Sun Dial and The Bevis Frond. Overall, a very good neo psych / neo Krautrock album that time has completely forgot.

Priority: 2

1/19/11 (new entry); 5/4/19

Mads Vinding Group, Denmark


Mads Vinding Group - Danish Design. 1974 Sonet; 1977 Peters International (USA)

There are two solid reasons to chase down this otherwise more typical fusion album: 1) Guitarist Janne Schaffer absolutely blazes on two extraordinary tracks (especially the opener). 2) The really cool album cover. For reason 1), on these two tracks, it sounds more like the Dutch hard hitting instrumental progressive rock of Finch, Bonfire, and Scope. 

Priority: 3

1/18/11 (new entry)

Eden, Canada-Quebec


Eden. 1978 Disques Total

Eden were a keyboard lead quartet from Quebec who play a standard symphonic progressive rock. About half the album features French vocals, whereas the rest is instrumental. While there is a guitarist, his role is primarily subordinate, and the leads are generally created via synthesizer - mostly a String Ensemble, but you'll hear some Moog as well. I didn't discern any organ, Mellotron, or Fender Rhodes. There's nothing extraordinary about this album, other than its remarkable consistency, and every track is excellent in my book except perhaps the classical cover 'Pavane'. 

Priority: 2

***Reissued on LP by Return to Analog (2019).

1/17/11 (new entry); 7/1/18

Robert Connolly, Canada-Ontario


Plateau. 1978 Tube

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: Ontario in the 1970's was an extension of the US Midwest - at least from an economic perspective. And so it comes as no surprise that the music shares similarities. We've waxed on a number of times about this most unique of American made rock music. And I'll be honest, I never viewed Connolly with this lens, until a revisit of the LP a couple of years back. Wham-bam, bullseye! Get your Ethos, Dillinger, Starcastle, and October albums out and compare.

Even though Connolly is standing next to a double neck guitar on the back cover, I believe his true passion is keyboards (and he's loaded with all the fun analog stuff like Mellotron, Mini Moog, and Hammond). The concept is pure 1970's space alien fantasy and comes complete with a goofy comic book (and any righteous CD label MUST reproduce this bad boy). For the album, Connolly put together two entirely different groups, each side represented. Side 1 mixes narration, female vocals, acoustic balladry and all out progressive rock that recalls Eloy's Power and the Passion, but truthfully better. Side 2 is where Connolly hands over the guitar duties as well as brings on a male lead singer - while he focuses entirely on the keys. No question this side is the more traditional progressive rock, though the vocals tend towards the AOR side, typical of the region. Given this new outlook, I'm appreciating Robert Connolly's album more now than ever. It's the time and place.

Priority: 2

1/15/11 (new entry); 7/12/14 (update)

Airlord, New Zealand


Clockwork Revenge. 1977 Infiniti

Airlord are one of the more original late 70s progressive bands. From the unlikely country of New Zealand, Airlord emerged with a pretty crazy bent on classic era Genesis. The vocals are most reminiscent of Gabriel, whereas the guitars play in a more hard rock style, with an occasional blazing solo. The keys (organ, synthesizer, Mellotron) and compositions aren't as elaborate or as complex as classic Genesis, but Clockwork Revenge is a refreshing take on a classic idea. 

Priority: 2

1/14/11 (new entry)

Ys, France


Madame la Frontiere. 1976 Philips

Breton folk rock similar to Malicorne with a couple of progressive rock instrumentals thrown in for good measure. Violin and guitar lead the instrumental work, while vocals and traditional melodies dominate the songwriting. One of the better albums in the style and also features a beautiful crochet cover. 

Priority: 3

1/13/11 (new entry)

Schakta, Switzerland


Tales. 1980 G+F Records

Not as fully developed as most of the private press albums from Switzerland during this time (i.e. Eloiteron, Nautilus, Sicher). Thin sounding and amateurish, with poorly executed vocals. It's a sincere attempt with a few good ideas, but this is strictly hardcore fan material, and not likely to garner much interest from those who haven't heard it. Reminds me of some of the embryonic Japanese sympho groups from the early 80s like Picareque of Bremen, Orpheus, Jankees, etc.... Love the period cover, a great example of cheesy amateurism that works. Thanks to Konny of Black Rills, who sent me a cassette of this title many years ago.

Priority: none

1/11/11 (new entry)

Quasar, Australia



Nebular Trajectory. 1979 ACR (Australian Creative Recording)
Man Coda. 1981 Aija (custom pressed by EMI - compositions are from 1975-1980)

Here's a couple of albums I picked up in the early 2000s on ebay. I wasn't even aware of their existence until then. My recollection was these were space rock albums. In revisiting these LPs in succession, it's obvious that's not the case at all.

In reality they are a fusion band with spacious avant-garde textures highlighted by Frippian sustained guitar leads and plenty of fuzz bass. So a combination of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Starless era King Crimson. And at that point, it hit me who these guys remind me of: SBB. Especially around the time of Nowy Horizont. And when you hear the lengthy fuzz bass solo, that solidifies the comparison - especially when you consider the debut by SBB. 

Man Coda is a bit looser in structure, following on from the title track of Nebular Trajectory which closed that album. As such, it's not quite as excellent as the debut, but both are still highly recommended. 

Priority: 2

1/10/11 (new entry)

Public Foot the Roman, England


Public Foot the Roman. 1973 EMI/Capitol

When I first started collecting progressive rock albums in earnest in the early 1980s, this is one of those "obscure" albums that I was told I must get. To be honest, Public Foot the Roman fell way short of my expectations, and I never understood what all the fuss was about. Some 30+ years later, I may not crown this a classic, but at least it makes more sense to me. I think the problem is the inclusion of standard rock and roll songs - like the opener - which can be greatly off-putting to those of us looking for something more adventurous. And my standards in the early 80s is that all "progressive rock" meant every album would be stood up against Close to the Edge or Selling England by the Pound. Well thousands of obscurities later - not much holds a candle to those albums anyway - IMHO of course.

Now in retrospect, I hear Public Foot the Roman in the way I do bands on the Neon or Dawn labels - albums that were still too far from my radar back then. And when shown in that light, Public Foot the Roman holds up pretty well. The mix of straightforward material with more ambitious jazzy progressions is fairly typical of 1973 England. Maybe not the best representative of said style, but I can now see why folks touted this one back to me then. Certainly better than the dime a dozen Hit Parade pop bands of the day. And its presence on Capitol Records, made it more known here in the US at least - especially when compared to their Dawn label brethren.

Priority: 3

1/9/11 (new entry); 3/11/14 (update)

Project Tyme, USA-Iowa


Clockwyze. 1985 private

A four piece from Iowa, but pressed in Dallas. As such, just like the Ojas album we posted a few days ago, this was a buck bin album in my neck of the woods through to the early 90s. Lead by double neck guitarist Scot Jon Schwestka (mullet is intact and functioning), Project Tyme are mid-80's all the way, with electric drums and warm bass tones. Early 80's Rush seems to be the main inspiration for the compositions. What keeps this from being a laugher, is the guitar work which is quite good actually. Expressive, skillful, energetic and no shred to be found (a common problem in those days). Once you get past the first two tracks, the rest is quite good as it's pretty much all instrumental from there on out. The production is excellent considering it's a homemade job. Neat cover art as well.

Priority: 3

1/8/11 (new entry)

Prisma, Netherlands


Prisma. 1980 private

On the surface, Prisma were a commercial rock band typical of the era. But there's a depth to the musicianship and quality of compositions that belies its superficial tendencies. With that in mind, I'm most reminded of those Canadian FM staples Saga, or perhaps the obscure Indiana group Stencil Forest. Even a slight nod to the great Kestrel, especially in the piano work. Memorable music and a group that probably should've hit the big time with the right breaks. Original LP features a nice die cut triangle cover, supposedly representing a (I guess) prism. 

Priority: 3

1/7/11 (new entry)

Laurent Petitgirard, France


Laurent Petitgirard - Suite Epique. 1972 LAlberti

One of the more interesting instrumental rock albums from early 1970s France is Pop Instrumental de France (issued by Vadim), which was a pseudonym for Laurent Petitgirard. This album represents the follow-up. Perhaps a little less "Le Fun GoGo Pop" and a bit more towards serious jazz rock with classical overtones. For soundtrack fans, Petitgirard is a household name, and he's still scoring films and concertos all these many years later. This is a lovely set of instrumental tunes, perfect for that spring afternoon drive on a winding two lane trek through the mountains. 

Priority: 3

***Reissued on LP by Superfly (2021)

1/6/11 (new entry)

Omnibus, USA-New Jersey


Omnibus. 1970 United Artists

---1/5/11

Omnibus were a band from New Jersey with a strong affinity for the Doors. Perhaps given the later date, Omnibus were more aggressive than Morrison and company, and the organ of choice is the Hammond (instead of a Vox Continental). Plenty of psychedelic fuzz guitar as well. Vocalist does a nice job of emulating Jim Morrison's sonorous tone. File next to the first Dragonwyck album as a good example of post-Doors heavy rock. 

---6/15/23 

Yep - not much to add there. The fuzz guitar is really stinging which is probably the largest separator from the Doors. Another one of those American albums that came around in 1970, about one year too late for its audience. 

Priority: 2

***Reissued on LP by Wah Wah (2018)

1/5/11 (new entry); 6/15/23 (update)

Ojas, USA-Oklahoma


Seven Levels of Man. 1978 private; 1979 Unity

We recently posted on the Earthstar's Salterbarty Tales album, and that reminded me of this title, an electronic oriented album I owned years ago. Since I was based in Dallas-Ft.Worth, and Ojas were just 3-4 hours north in Oklahoma City, this album had pretty good distribution amongst the used record stores in my area (the Unity release). That is to say, it was a regular $1 bin special in the late 1980s and early 90s. These are the albums I keep forgetting to add on here - but they do need inclusion. For fans of sequencer based electronics who enjoy the addition of some acoustic work, Ojas comes recommended. 

Priority: none

1/4/11 (new entry)

Jean-Pierre Massiera & Bernard Torelli, France


Jean-Pierre Massiera & Bernard Torelli - Turn Radio On. 1976 Marcy Music

Well here he is again. Mr. Massiera, the king of arcane underground music. You never know what you'll get with a JP Massiera album, but rest assured it will contain music no one else was doing at the time. He seemed to be the original artist with a keen eye for the ironic. In fact, I think the entire post 1990 Japanese pop scene could be described as similar, whether one was actually clued in on the joke or not. Jean-Pierre Massiera is the original post modernist hipster! Here he joins Mr. Torelli (not sure what his role is, since I've never actually seen an original LP, and it may not tell anyway) in a completely nutty, primarily instrumental (with odd voices and narration) album, that is as much indebted to the late 60s grooving horns jetset scene as it is to Studio 54 era disco. Thanks to my friend MP for this one.

Priority: none

1/2/11 (new entry)

Kravetz, Germany



Kravetz. 1972 Vertigo. A second release appeared as 8 Days in April: The Hamburg Scene. 1974 Fontana.

Kravetz is of course Jean-Jacques Kravetz, keyboardist extraordinaire for Frumpy. At its core, this is a blues rock album, not that dissimilar to Frumpy themselves. But there's long sections given for instrumental work, and almost all of it is astounding. Kravetz puts in a fine performance, especially on organ - some of it moves towards the experimental recalling Xhol on Motherf*ckers & Co. Perhaps a distant cousin to the Brian Auger albums of the same time period. Essential Krautrock.

Priority: 2

1/1/11 (new entry)

Monday, September 23, 2024

Carpineta, Italy


Carpineta. 1978 Mu

---See below for recent news

And as promised yesterday, here is that new Italian discovery from The AC. Of all the countries that have had almost complete reissue coverage in regards to progressive music from the 70s, Italy is most certainly in the lead. Though this one does fit the profile for the few that still remain like Gramigna, Ultima Spiaggia, Arpaderba, Roberto Picchi, Orchestra Njervudarov, and others. All the same, Carpineta up until now, is a complete unknown. And it's fantastic! Much of what I just said is far more detailed in The AC's review below.

For quick reference, I'd say Carpineta tracks closest to Canzoniere del Lazio at the end of their storied career (Morra 1978, Miradas). That is - at their most progressive! Mid 70s Area also deserves a shout out, as well as artists as disparate as Gramigna, Franco Battiato, and even Aktuala. For my tastes, Carpineta surpasses all of them. Yea, it's that good.

OK, enough of my 30,000 ft view. Let's get down to The AC's much more professional reading liner notes: "There's probably no individual progressive rock scene from the classic 1970s era that has been more thoroughly excavated and cataloged than the Italian one. Massive printed tomes and comprehensive web archives are devoted to it, and a multitude of record labels have left practically no stone unturned, reissuing almost the entire back catalog of noteworthy albums, often multiple times over. A quick glance here at the CDRWL will confirm this, showing a relatively paltry selection of Italian LPs, most from the more obscure jazz/fusion oriented corner of the scene. A few well-known items (like Orchestra Njervudarov or Canzoniere Del Lazio) have somehow managed to avoid reissue, but overall it's pretty slim pickings. The continued passionate following (and incredibly high prices of many originals) have necessitated a very active reissue scene, and created a legion of dedicated collectors, both locally and abroad, who over the ensuing decades have dug to the very bottom of the well in hopes of unearthing that one last Italian gem. So it's with great surprise that I offer this particular album up for your inspection, as it does seem to be a genuine specimen of that rarest of birds - a previously undiscovered Italian progressive LP from the 1970s, not (to my knowledge) ever mentioned in any of the standard Italian prog references or encountered by collectors until just the past year or so.

Hailing from the ancient province of Cosenza in southern Italy, Carpineta seem to have been named after a type of tree, although turning the record sleeve over will reveal that each letter of the name seems to stand for something, possibly making it an acronym: "Carpini Abbandono Rabbia Pianti Incontaminazione Nord-africa Emigrazione Trasformazione Abbrazzamuni". Really rolls off the tongue, eh? With a name like that, and being from 1978, you might be able to guess that we're within the realm of that strange and uniquely Italian take on avant-prog and RIO that proliferated (on a relatively minor scale) from the mid 70s through the early 80s, in the wake of the classic early 70s prog scene's demise, rising in tandem with (and sometimes related to) the increasingly popular jazz-rock/fusion movement. But as I'm sure you know, this whole little mini-movement was quite diverse and hard to put a finger on, mixing in elements of progressive rock, jazz/fusion, Italian folk, pop, ethnic/eastern and avant-garde elements in wildly varying combinations. None of these albums really sound alike, even if you can kind of pigeonhole them due to the time, place and politics. Carpineta are no different, in being completely different. Does that even make any sense? In any case, what we have here is a mixture of elements that's not easily summed up. It opens with an abstract piece full of droning reeds (the "zampogna", a characteristic southern Italian bagpipe, is frequently used on this album, although often in a way that almost makes it sound like an eastern instrument), clattering percussion and declamatory vocals. After that we move into avant-prog territory, with varied but cohesive songs featuring elements of prog, jazz-rock, indigenous southern Italian folk and even psychedelic rock. There's a wide instrumental palette here, as aside from the standard progressive rock instrumentation and impassioned Italian vocals (which at times are sung in the local dialect, which seems to be somewhat Greek-influeced, if I'm not mistaken) they utilize various wind instruments, exotic percussion and also indigenous elements like the previously mentioned zampogna, mandolin, etc. However, the two things that really stand out are the electric guitar work and the drumming. The lead guitar is often played in an almost anachronistic psychedelic style, loaded with fuzz and distortion, while the drummer sometimes freaks out in a nervous, twitchy jazz-inflected way, unleashing rapid-fire rolls and fills like Furio Chirico after downing a few too many cappucinnos. This all really comes together on side two, in the manic and appropriately titled "Storie di cose nostre", with vicious lashings of fuzz guitar, hyper-active drumming and angry screaming vocals, creating one of the most relentless tracks you'll ever hear on a 70s prog LP. But naturally this is followed up by a mellow, sunny Italian folk-oriented song. And so it goes. A fascinating album that I've found myself returning to again and again, which certainly deserves to be reissued and discovered by the wider Italian prog fanbase. Hopefully someone in their home area can find these guys and get on the case!

By the way, the "Mu. Co." label was either their own private imprint or a tiny local interest. It has no relation to Mu, the well-known Turin prog/fusion label from the same time period (Zauber, Esagono, etc.)."

Priority: 1

See the comments section where I have a translated version of what's going on. But essentially the band has decided to re-record the album with one bonus track. So the album remains in this list since it hasn't been technically reissued, but the re-recording is most welcomed as well.

3/3/14 (new entry); 9/23/24 (update)

Monday, September 16, 2024

Granmax, USA-Missouri ***REISSUED***


A Ninth Alive. 1976 Panama
Kiss Heaven Goodbye. 1978 Panama

***Both albums reissued by Cult Metal Classics (2024)


Priority: 2

9/16/24 (reissue complete)


Friday, September 13, 2024

Pinguin, Germany


Der Grosse Rote Vogel. 1972 Zebra

After the psych band Talix released Spuren, they reemerged as Pinguin and issued one fine album in the contemporary Krautrock field. There are six tracks that play as two side long suites. The instrumentation will be familiar to students of the genre: Hammond organ, loud and jamming electric guitar, flute, saxophone, and a thunderous rhythm section. One twist is the vocals are in German, a very unusual move at the time. Period groups such as Nosferatu, Os Mundi, Hanuman, Ikarus, and Xhol Caravan come to mind here. The music belongs as much to progressive rock as it to does to the more atmospheric Krautrock tag, as there's plenty of complexity brought forth. I'm reminded of Inside era Eloy in this way. The second side demonstrates more of the Krautrock experimentalism that we've come to expect. Closer 'Der Traum' is a trippy and jazzy piece with phased vocals. Great album throughout.

Priority: 2

8/15/09 (new entry)

Ixt Adux, USA-California


Brainstorm. 1982 Madame X

Long Beach, California based Ixt Adux were yet another late 70s / early 80s American band that had absolutely no chance of commercial success. Their brand of aggressive and complex King Crimson influenced guitar-based rock (no keyboards here) will remind the listener of Midwest prog groups such as St. Elmo's Fire, October, The Inserts, and Ariel - other hopelessly obscure albums. There's even a little Canterbury undercurrent (but brash and entirely American). The vocalist definitely enjoyed listening to Van der Graaf Generator, and he employs many Hammill-like declarations. The album starts off more towards aggressive hard rock but it's a head fake, and they begin to display their complex nature on A2. There's even some nods to the avant prog genre to be found.

Priority: 2

3/6/11 (new entry)

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Rodan / MAX, USA-California


Rodan. 1974 Pandora

Super horn rock album, that absolutely kills on most of the 12 short tracks. There are a couple of bluesy moves and at least one James Brown styled funker, but mostly this just rips from start to finish. The kind of album you wish all horn rockers were. Smoking guitar and great brass charts. The rhythm section never stops. California based group was actually known as MAX, and toured extensively with groups like Malo and Tower of Power. Album sports a fantastic drawing on the cover.

Thanks goes to Heavyrock for this one!

Priority: 2

I've recently heard from the band and they've confirmed that a 2xLP reissue is on the way. I did ask about a CD reissue and they stated it was possible.

https://www.facebook.com/digitalcellars

6/22/09 (new entry); 9/12/24 (LP reissue)

Thursday, August 22, 2024

The Forum Quorum, USA-New York


The Forum Quorum. 1968 Decca

The Forum Quorum is a way cool psych album from New York City area teenagers. They exclusively used Vox Continental organs, and were in fact sponsored by the company. They also made a couple of appearances on the Mike Douglas Show. And, on top of that, they also appeared in a movie. In a lot of ways, they were the East Coast equivalent to the Strawberry Alarm Clock, especially when you consider the amount of flute they employed. They didn't quite have the songwriting skills, or the master of harmony, as did SAC but otherwise a much better than average pop psych album, with plenty of progressive touches.

---1/15/24

In hearing my LP again for the first time in over a decade, this is one of those albums where you question yourself, as each track opens, "Is it really that good?" But as the songs develop you're drawn in by the diverse instrumentation and quality songwriting. Unlike a lot of 60s pop psych, the compositions are not static and demonstrate a progressive nature. I didn't mention the electric bouzouki prior, but that's another distinguishing characteristic. The Forum Quorum definitely display a Mediterranean background, consistent with being from the borough of Queens. Very solid album that remains under the radar.

Priority: 2

12/30/10; 1/15/24

Skyeros, USA-Missouri


Skyeros. 1975 private

Skyeros (from Farmington, Missouri) reminds me a lot of another band we featured a few days ago - Luna Sea. Both are from the Midwest, and pretty much play in a straightforward rock style with a rural tinge. But whereas Luna Sea dedicated all of Side 2 to their more progressive ambitions, Skyeros waited until the final lengthy track, and even at that, it's marginally progressive. A few changes here and there, but it's pretty conservative. Some nice organ and guitar work can be found on this track. Doesn't really fit the "Midwest progressive" sound that we feature quite a bit here. This one is more rock / AOR oriented. 

This album came in courtesy of Heavyrock's collection, and from that we learn the album was recorded at Golden Voice Studios, which is in Pekin, Illinois (near Peoria). The studio is not a stranger to fans of the Midwest progressive crowd, as its where Pentwater, Starcastle's debut, and Styx's Man of Miracles laid down their recordings. Fellow St. Louis based rock group Head East also recorded there.

Priority: none

12/30/10

Cosmic Eye, England


Dream Sequence. 1972 Regal Zonophone

Cosmic Eye's sole album is a fascinating hybrid of Indo-jazz and instrumental rock. Plenty to go 'round of sitar, flute, hand percussion, electric guitar, etc... That probably reads like an exploitation album, or even a film library soundtrack, and it can fit comfortably into either of those sub-genres. However, the album works surprisingly well as a continuous whole.

Priority: 3

***Reissued by The Roundtable on LP (2018)

12/29/10

The Collective Star, USA-New York



Music of the Mantric Wave, Part II. 1974 Unaminous Anonymous
Garuda. 1975 Unaminous Anonymous

The Collective Star is keyboardist Paul Ramana Das Silbey's first foray into recorded music, while still a resident of New York City. Today, now a resident of the California Bay Area, he is known as a "romantic classical concert pianist". The Collective Star is what I'd call proto New Age music. Plenty of what we would now call "world music" presents itself, via eastern instrumentation and scales (hand percussion, sitar, etc...). Lots of period lyrics full of love and peace. Honestly music like this can be very interesting, and I think in the formative stages - as is the case here - it was. It sounds more authentic and heartfelt than the sanitized gloss we've been subjected to since the 1980s. There's quite a bit of edge in the jam sessions (acoustic guitar, flute, piano, organ), which adds points. Maybe even a little anger that hasn't quite been purged from the soul yet. Not exactly Popol Vuh when looking for "higher key" sounds, but that's not a bad benchmark either. Also fellow New Yorker's Arica may have played an influence here.

Priority: 3

12/28/10; 2/4/20

Zadri & Mo, France


Erebus. 1982 Polydor

Zadri & Mo, despite looking like the bad guys in a Luc Besson film, have created quite an exquisite analog electronic album before the market became saturated with third rate amateur done-in-the-bedroom digital variations. Not only is there a duo on keys and sequencers (and that extra person definitely adds to the creativity), they also brought along Heldon's drummer François Auger for the ride. And he adds an urgency to the proceedings, just as he did for Richard Pinhas. Erebus continually changes in a progressive rock sort of way, never settling too long on any one sequence. Real drums in an electronic setting has always been appealing to me, and there aren't that many examples. So file this along with Klaus Schulze's Moondawn, Klaus Krüger era Tangerine Dream/Edgar Froese, You's Electric Day, and Wolfgang Bock's Cycles. Or imagine Zanov with another synthesist and analog drums. Despite the listing of a guitar player, he unfortunately doesn't make his presence felt. A rave up ala Pinhas would've put me under for good I think...

Thanks again to the AC for this one (I later picked up the LP).

Priority: 2

12/27/10

Getriebe, Germany


Syncron. 1975 Pauer (EP)

Here we have about a 17 minute EP, long enough for a one sided LP. Getriebe was lead by Detlev Schmidtchen, future keyboardist for none other than Eloy starting on the Dawn album and ending with Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes (and then left to form the rather lackluster Ego on the Rocks). Ironically, Getriebe will remind listeners of Inside or Floating era Eloy (and the CDRWL's favorite period for Eloy) more so than the streamlined and sophisticated Dawn and beyond albums. In fact, Getriebe sound like many of the organ lead German bands from 1971. The same off-key blues vocals in English, heavy guitars, fat bass and thudding drums. And that one critical component: Hammond organ. The AC informs us: "Detlev Schmidtchen formed this group in 1971 in Hanover, and in 1975 they won some local band competition called "Pop '75". The prize was time in a local recording studio, where they recorded "Syncron" (so it is from '75, and not '72 as I've seen listed elsewhere). Apparently, they also won the chance to have dinner (?!) with Eloy, who were the guest headliners at this competition/festival. This led to Eloy poaching Schmidtchen for themselves, which caused Getriebe to break up on the spot." 

Priority: 2

12/25/10

Luna Sea, USA-Nebraska


Luna Sea. 1976 Luna Tunes

Well, this really is lunacy. About as dramatic a difference in A-side, B-side as the Eik - Speglun album.

This is a newly discovered rarity out of Nebraska, that's just starting to make the rounds. Interesting to note that Queen used the exact painting on their 1991 "Innuendo" album, except in color (thanks Waxidermy for that info!).

This is another rarity sent in from The AC. I thought he did a magnificent job at describing the album, so take it away AC:

"It's the lone private press LP by an almost totally unknown US band named Luna Sea. They were from Blair, Nebraska of all places, but the album was recorded in Iowa. The first side is going to really test your willpower, as it's just straight radio-rock a la the Eagles, so you'll just have to "man-up" and slog through it. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, though, because side 2 is totally different. Suddenly the synths appear, and things start getting a lot more interesting. It starts out in a still fairly accessible style, but things get proggier literally by the minute, until the last track "Rousing The Ghost", which is a fantastic piece of instrumental symphonic prog with great guitar, keys, and even a little flute. Oh, and be sure to stay tuned for the unlisted (and totally stupid) outro! A completely schizophrenic album, but even the band seemed to know this as they named the first side the "Light Side" and the second side the "Dark Side"! Hard to tell what they were really trying to accomplish here. But, such is the nature of the US underground. One part confusion and one part inspiration. I guess that's kind of the charm! In any case, this thing is seriously rare. It only first emerged onto the collector scene within the last year or two, and since it was first discovered only like two or three copies have popped up."
 

So very true on the question "what are they trying to do here?". It was very typical for bands in the 1970's to try for a radio hit while mixing in their progressive rock ambitions. That strategy never did work.

One of those bands you just hope has more on tape somewhere, to make for a truly great album. The last track is brilliant but Side 1 is indeed dreadful...

Be sure to read insights from friends of the band in the comments section!

Priority: none (way higher if they have unreleased material like Side 2)

12/24/10

Genre, USA-New Mexico


Commercial Success. 1978 Black Gold

Now here's one that was buried deep in my LP collection. I first discovered this one while on a record buying trip in 1992 to Albuquerque with my old buddy Purple Peak Jeff. At one store there was a pile of sealed local albums, almost all of them pop or country. But this fusion album looked like it was worth taking a chance on - so we did. One reason is that we were both looking for the hard rock Message It'll Be Awhile album (also on Black Gold).

Lead by the guitarist - a slightly chunky black dude with a cool fro - named L.A. Jenkins, Genre play a fairly typical late 70's fusion with toned down guitar leads and Rhodes piano as the lead instruments. While Side 1 isn't particularly noteworthy, Side 2 opens with the excellent 'All Mixed Up' where Jenkins lets loose with a more psychedelic tone to the guitar. And this continues throughout the side, though the standard fusion motif is never strayed from too far.

---

8/22/24 - The reputation of this album has skyrocketed since I first penned these notes.

Priority: 2

Akropolis, Denmark


Half A Million Hours Symphony. 1979 Circle

What says PROG like that cover, eh? The dude in the white overalls gives me nightmares. Was he auditioning for The Village People before the photo shoot?

This is one that Midwest Mike sent in, but I put it off thinking perhaps he lost his mind. He swore it was much better than it looked. And, as usual, he was right.

In fact, while listening to it, I began to question if Denmark had cities named Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Columbus and Ft.Wayne. Blindfold me, tell me nothing else, and I say 1978 Midwest progressive rock. You know, it's just got that sound. The one where St. Louis college aged students, who've been drinking a case of Falstaff and listening to KSHE past midnight - decide to start a band. One of those albums that makes no sense, but it's really good for fans of American progressive rock. Seriously, file next to Albatross, Ethos and Surprise.

If someone does the reissue, one would hope for a redesigned album cover. I'm sure there is a story behind it. At least I HOPE there is a story behind it. 

Priority: 2

12/22/10

Opus III & Friends, Sweden


Opus III & Friends. 1970 Sonet

What strikes me most about Opus III & Friends is how much it reminds me of an American album circa 1970 as found on labels like Paramount, Rare Earth, and ABC. It actually sounds like a horn rock album - without the horns if that makes sense. But the compositions have that similar flavor about them. It's clearly a post psychedelic release and many elements of that genre are present, most fortuitously on a couple of the guitar solos spread throughout the eight tracks here. The instrumental songs go for a quiet introspective electric guitar trio sound. Which is a logical conclusion when you realize the band is headed up by no less a luminary than the legendary guitarist Jan Schaffer. And the Friends part of the moniker includes none other than Bjorn J-Son Lindh on piano and flute. This is definitely not the subversive underground Sweden of Parsson Sound, International Harvester, Algarnas Tradgard, and Flasket Brinner. Not much is unfortunately. 

Priority: 3

Another AC contribution. I acquired the LP reissue since.

***Reissued on LP by the parent label on RSD (4/20/13)

12/21/10

Train, Germany


Coo-Coo Out. 1977 private

German band Train puts the jazz in jazz fusion. Mostly this is sax and toned down guitar driven jazz rock. But there's also some acoustic guitar pieces, and the opener 'Solution' is pure funk. The best track is saved for last, a slow atmospheric exotic percussive Middle Eastern piece with flute as the lead, appropriately enough titled 'Arabesque'.

Recommended to fans of the jazzier side of the large German fusion scene.

Train is another rarity sent in from The AC.

Priority: 3

12/20/10

Working Progress, France


Working Progress. 1975 RCA

We have a new patron of the CDRWL - The Alaskan Connection (later known as The AC and is featured heavily from 2011-2015). And here's his first submission. I wasn't familiar with it prior, not even on one of my many esoteric want lists. And of course guess who's involved? None other than Mr. Obscuria himself - J.P. Massiera. Also the ubiquitous drummer Andre Ceccarelli.

This one starts off in the funky fusion style, but it's a head fake, something you can almost predict with Mr. Massiera. Within the album you'll find sweetly sung soft female vocals ala Cortex, indigenous islander music, a little Zeuhlish horns - flute and vocal piece, and even some straight jazz. For certain, all of that is fine and dandy, but it doesn't prepare you for the middle of the album with the lengthy West Indies tribal percussion and underground fuzz guitar soloing. This sequence elevates the album to a must listen experience, even it's not entirely consistent.

Priority: 2

12/19/10

The Albert, USA



The Albert. 1970 Perception (plp 4)
The Albert. 1970 Perception (plp 9)

And the award for most confusing discography goes to.... The Albert! Two albums, both self-titled, same year, and on the same label. Yea, that makes it easy to research.

The Albert definitely fall on the soul-jazz/pop side of the horn rock equation. But there's some really fine horn charts, hard guitar, and organ that separate this one from the pack. Also check out the well done sax and trumpet solos. So not the best the genre has to offer, but fans of same will want to investigate.

Priority: none

12/17/10

Profil, Germany


For You. 1982 Brutkasten

We've posted on the Brutkasten label before. It's the original German DIY label, like France's FLVM. So there's really no consistency to what's on it - a true grab bag of styles. After listening to Profil for the first time on Saturday, I'd say it's in the top four albums I've heard on the label to date, along with Sirius' Running to Paradise, Gebärväterli's Im Tal der Emmen and the label's most famous underground album - Carol of Harvest.

Profil can be simply described as instrumental rock driven by guitar and synthesizer. But what I found fascinating was how expressive the guitarist is, and the choice times when the synthesizer would lay down a fat solo. And the tracks seem to extend longer than usual, but with an irregular rhythm giving off a trance like effect. There's little variation of this sound, save a couple of tracks, including one funky bit. I've been trying to think of a comparison for 3 days now. About the best I can come up with is the debut of Flaming Bess (Tanz Der Gotter) minus the narration parts of course. You know how that album just keeps driving forward, with guitar solo after guitar solo. It's kind of like that. Despite the rather simplistic and generic description, Profil's album is somewhat unique in this space. 

Priority: 2

12/15/10

Gian Piero Pramaggiore, Italy


Chan. 1982 Mama Barley

Chan features primarily acoustic guitar, soprano sax, and a variety of flutes in a rock setting along with some wordless voice. Definitely a variation on the post 70s jazz fusion display. A good album, with a high energy level. It appears that Pramaggiore is currently active in conducting music workshops.

Priority: 3

12/11/10

Awake (Rino de Filippi), Italy


First Born. 1972 Smash. Reissued as Riflessi under the name Rino de Filippi (1978 Edipan).

To me this sounds like an Italian film library album, for which there are dozens. It has that cool 60's jet-set jazz funk feel - music for the martini drinking James Bond crowd. The thing is, many of these library albums went by different titles and artist names.

---

For a long while we could not find any data about this album which we thought the band name was First Born.

Augusto Croce, author of the the Italian Prog site, later discovered more info about the album. And I  was right - it sure enough is a film library album. The artist is Rino de Filippi, going by what appears to the name of Awake. I can't tell by the front cover, but Augusto tells us: "The author is Rino De Filippi, a library music composer using the nickname Awake in this case. The album was released on Smash, a minor label that also issued the rare album by I Boom."

Today (8/22/24), Discogs has complete info about the album and the artist who went on to release at least four more albums.

Priority: none

***Reissued on LP (the Riflessi issue) by Sonor Music Editions (2015).

12/10/10

Ada le Fol, France


Les Années d'Errance. 1980 Velia Disques

Ada le Fol is another example of the groups* of the French underground that played in that unique theatrical progressive rock style made so popular by Ange and Mona Lisa. Les Années d'Errance is more underproduced and amateurish, just as like-minded bands such as Trefle and Grime are, but that's honestly where the appeal lies. It's creativity at its most raw. The vocalist here does a fine job at the Decamps style, while the keyboards and guitar keep the progressive quotient alive. 

The album starts a bit tentatively and seems to be on a hard downhill slope with a throwaway good-times rock and roller (the awful 'Les Bons Conseils'), But starting with the non-bluesy 'Breizh Blues', the album proves to be a strong example of the French vocal-prog style.

*I didn't realize until getting this on LP, that Ada le Fol is a person. As it turns out, it's a pseudonym for a one Alain Rouquette. We made the change on Discogs as well, as it's a little known fact. Despite this tidbit, it remains a full band effort.

Priority: 2

12/8/10; 1/15/22

Metronic Underground, Germany


Illusion (Electronic aus Bonn). 1981 private

Produced by Conny Plank, this is an excellent entry into the large scale German electronic scene. Not really a Berlin School album, though some rhythmic sequencing is present, but still very much informed by late 70's Berlin based artists like Edgar Froese (especially Ages), Ash Ra around the time of New Age of Earth, and Klaus Schulze circa X. Haunting synthesizers with THAT vibe combined with lightly sprinkled fuzzed and acoustic guitars makes for an album the CDRWL recommends. Side 2 of the album shifts gears a bit and features some vocal numbers that are quite a bit different than the other contents but are strangely engaging all the same. 

Priority: 2

12/6/10

Mediterraneo, Spain


Estrechas Calles De Santa Cruz. 1978 Aphrodita

It's been years since I had heard this album. I had the LP in the early 90s, but didn't enjoy it much then, and promptly sold it (and it's always been a rare piece). Then totally forgot about it until recently. Musically, it's a bit of a disappointment if you're looking for Spanish regional influences. In fact, some of this reminds me of the slow moving German symphonic music of the day (Shaa Khan, Albatros, Indigo, etc...). There's also an impossibly long drum solo that ruins the flow. There are some nice guitar leads in the Camel vein, though, that makes it worth a listen or two. Starting with their second album Tabarca, the band moved into a more specific pop direction, and released five more albums. 

Priority: none

12/5/10

I.D. Company, Germany


I.D. Company. 1970 HorZu

Split album between two soon-to-be well known female vocalists. Side 1 features Frumpy's Inga Rumpf and her masculine vocal style. The music is a combination of blues, jazz, and Indian music - and sounds like some of the better moments of Krokodil's An Invisible World Revealed. Dagmar Krause's side is considerably more experimental, foreshadowing her later work with Slapp Happy, Art Bears, and Henry Cow among others. The music follows in a similar manner, and is clearly going for a free jazz sound. It's all a bit much to be honest, but fans of unhinged music + vocals will love it. 

Priority: none

12/2/10

Heavy Joker, Denmark




Heavy Joker. 1976 Polydor
Peter Klixbull and Heavy Joker - Jumbo. 1977 Polydor 
Caesar's Palace. 1978 Mercury

Earlier this year (in 2010 that is), I'd heard Caesar's Palace for the first time. I quickly dismissed it as an all too typical fusion album of the era, describing it as thus: "Warm and slick, this smooth jazz album is similar to the American group Spyro Gyra. Presumably the first album is considerably better, but I haven't heard it." 

Midwest Mike pointed out to me that the first album was indeed much better, and so he sent me a cdr to see if I agreed with him. Wow - what a difference! Opening with a Canterbury like sequence, I knew instantly he was to be right. The next couple of tracks would foreshadow the direction they would follow on Caesar's Palace, with some slick playing and somewhat trite melodic interplay. But they close side 1 similar to how it began in superb fashion. This leads to the excellent side long track broken up into 4 movements, that recalls some of the finest Kraut fusion bands (Missus Beastly, Frob, Kraan, etc..) while still maintaining the Soft Machine/Nucleus approach of quirky sophistication. Overall, a very pleasant surprise.

Priority: 2

12/1/10

Games, USA-California


Stargazer. 1977 Cascade Court

Los Angeles based group who pretty much stick to the progressive oriented AOR album formula, like their Midwest brethren to the north. The music also recalls the all female UK group Mother Superior, which was reissued on the Audio Archives label a few years back. And, on my last listen, I picked up a whiff of classic Alan Parsons Project. Overall, a mix of complex progressive and more pop oriented material

Priority: 3

11/30/10

The Facedancers, USA-Pennsylvania


The Facedancers. 1972 Paramount

There really is no album like The Facedancers, an obscure progressive rock band from the Philadelphia area (locale recently confirmed from various postings on YouTube). Typical of the Paramount aesthetic, The Facedancers were an eclectic bunch, that had no real identity, though to be sure it was probably the label's most purely progressive rock act (besting the also varied Baxter album). They use harmony vocals and have a slight folky and bluesy touch to their songwriting. But most of the songs feature long and complex instrumental breaks, that sound like they came right out of the early 1970's northern European scene with flute, electric guitar, and organ. The guitarist plays in a decidedly psychedelic manner throughout. Excellent album overall.

Priority: 2

11/29/10

Den Za Den, Macedonia


Den Za Den. 1980 RTV Ljubljana

Funny, as the data I had on this was it was released in 1977 and from Montenegro. I have no idea where I got that notion, as I cannot find any reference for either. In studying my LP copy there is no mention of the date, and the album was released by the Slovenian branch of the various state labels. But plenty of internet references clearly point Den Za Den as being from Macedonia, and many of them also call out a similar sound to that country's most known group: Leb I Sol.

Personally I don't hear it so much, as Den Za Den are way more fiery, with a stronger melodic sense. Still there's no denying the late 70's fusion sound. What separates Den Za Den from the pack is the exceptional guitarist, the distinct melodies, and perhaps best of all, the insane drumming along the lines of Arti + Mestieri. I'm a sucker for active drummers, so I naturally rate this one higher than other fusion albums of the era. Maybe Slovakia's Fermata is the closest comparison amongst the usual suspects like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report. Like most East Euro LP's, the sound quality is extremely muddy. Experience has shown the master tapes are well preserved, so a CD reissue is likely to raise the rating another point. This one desperately could use a reissue.

Priority: 1

11/27/10

Nova Express, Germany

Space Khmer. 1987 Syndicate Germany's Nova Express, a common band name derived from William Burroughs' novel title, are a band I fi...